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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30095181">Loki's Runaway Princess</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/laufeyson_apologist/pseuds/laufeyson_apologist'>laufeyson_apologist</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Loki - Fandom, Loki-7281 - Roger Zelazny, Loki: Agent of Asgard, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Gospel of Loki - Joanne Harris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Asgard, Asgard (Marvel), Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki (Marvel) Has Issues, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Romance, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:13:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,376</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30095181</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/laufeyson_apologist/pseuds/laufeyson_apologist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>LOKI X READER - A DARK FANTASY, SLOW-BURN ROMANCE, &amp; CHARACTER-DRIVEN STORY - COMPLETED</p><p>You and your family are unexpectedly invited to a celebratory feast held by Odin in his palace. Without any prior warning, you are betrothed to Loki, prince of Asgard. On account of a peace treaty between the ruler of your province, Nornheim, and King Odin, you are now obligated to become the palace's new princess. Your world is turned upside-down as you have no say in this matter. You must wed Loki without knowing a single thing about him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Loki (Marvel)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>190</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The King of Asgard's Feast</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>An enemies to lovers-esque story, you and Loki won't want to be anywhere near each other at the beginning. He is arrogant, vain, and closed off; everything you hate. Unbeknownst to you, he covertly discovers the reason why Odin made this peace treaty in the first place. He begins to use his many tricks and schemes to keep you in the palace, but you slowly find out there is more to him than meets the eye.  </p><p>Initially, you try your best to run away from this forced lifestyle that you never wanted before. However, over the mandatory time you must spend together, your feelings for each other seem to grow. Will Loki succeed at keeping you in the palace or will he fail? And are his intentions for keeping you there because of the secrets he knows or does he truly want you to stay with him?</p><p>This story will have mature elements in it, so please be cautious. I will be adding trigger warnings here and before each chapter. </p><p>TW: sexual content, brief mentions of violence/violent tendencies, alcohol</p><p>Check the tags and summary for more information about what to expect.</p><p>If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Feel free to also check out my other story which is also finished, it's about Loki in the Wizarding World.</p><p>PLEASE make sure you check out the description and trigger warnings thoroughly and before each chapter! I want everyone to be able to enjoy this story as much as possible, but it will have mature and darker elements in it. It'll also be light-hearted and playful like Loki..</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You were sitting down near the front of an enormous banquet table, dozens of feet long, at the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf in Asgard.</p>
<p>Out of the blue, you and your family had been invited by Odin to attend this celebratory feast. Except you had no clue what you were there to celebrate. The King had gathered several families from each province to feast at the palace, so it had to be significant.</p>
<p>You tried to guess what was going on. This couldn't have been Thor's coronation, as there would've been even more people here. Also, Odin would've announced it in the invitations, prior to the event. You were feeling very indifferent at the moment. You had no expectations for this feast to somehow involve you.</p>
<p>That was until Odin and Frigga and their two sons, Thor and Loki, came to sit down by you and your family. Karnilla, the leader of your province called Nornheim, sat down in the chair right beside you. You were starting to have your doubts about your involvement in this.</p>
<p>Why had you been placed at the front of the king's personal banquet table?</p>
<p>You tried to hide your confusion as you looked directly across the table towards one of the princes of Asgard, Loki. He ignored you completely and instead looked directly to his father.</p>
<p>Odin stood up from the very front and center of the banquet table and began his announcement.</p>
<p>"To preserve the peace in the Nine Realms and all provinces of Asgard, a marriage treaty has been formed. My son, Loki of Asgard, and Y/N of Nornheim, are to be betrothed and wed within the next week. Karnilla, the ruler of Nornheim, has agreed to this treaty in order to bring the people of our lands closer together."</p>
<p>You were in absolute shock, but you managed to hold yourself together to maintain a neutral expression.</p>
<p>Karnilla stood and held her goblet of wine up, looking around at everyone in the room and then at you. She smiled widely.</p>
<p>Karnilla bowed to Odin. "To peace, in all of Asgard." People everywhere erupted in cheers and applause. You didn't.</p>
<p>"Let the celebration begin!" Odin declared, with his arms stretched out wide. Groups of waiters exited the kitchens to bring out trays of grand-looking entrees. It was mutton and mead galore.</p>
<p>The smell of the assortment of expensive meats made you feel sick to your stomach. You could barely tolerate looking at the table filled with food as there was nothing for you to celebrate. Your life was over and your free will was gone. You would now be trapped in the palace forever and be forced to marry a man you knew absolutely nothing about.</p>
<p>This was unjust.</p>
<p>Without another thought or glance at the food, you stood up and made your way out of the palace. You didn't look back to see anyone's reactions. You pushed through waiters, servants, and guards to finally get outside.</p>
<p>You kept running until you felt you were in an appropriate spot to take a rest to just think about this. You looked around and noticed that you were in the palace gardens. You sat down on the steps of its entrance, trying your best not to cry.</p>
<p>The palace garden's entrance had a large, golden archway with columns holding it up. There was a multitude of various types of plant life from all over the Nine Realms. The color of the flowers and plants even mimicked the glittering, rainbow Bifrost. It would have been beautiful to you on any other day, except today.</p>
<p>In most Asgardian's minds, an opportunity like this would be a miracle. They would never have to worry about making ends meet, as there would always be food on the table for the rest of their lives. They could explore the palace freely and happily and be able to afford whatever precious items they wanted.</p>
<p>In your mind, you felt the exact opposite. Back in Nornheim, it wasn't like you were fighting to survive. You had an okay life. A good life, one that you liked and didn't want to change.</p>
<p>You could be yourself there.</p>
<p>So why were you selected for this, out of all the other people in Nornheim? You had to find out. However, even if you did, it still wouldn't change the fact that your freedom was gone.</p>
<p>Your sorrow quickly turned to rage. You got up and reached for your dagger, hidden under your outfit. You hurled it into a large tree a few feet away from you and it stuck there, reverberating against the wood.</p>
<p>You walked to the tree to remove your dagger but it was wedged into the wood deeper than you thought it would be. You grabbed it with both of your hands and positioned your foot onto the tree trunk so you could pull at it with all of your might.</p>
<p>PLUNK.</p>
<p>You tugged your dagger out of the tree as hard as you could, releasing it. You would've fallen back if there hadn't been someone there to catch you.</p>
<p>"Is the tree supposed to be Odin or Karnilla?" A sly voice asked you, coming out of nowhere.</p>
<p>You returned your dagger to its hilt and turned around. Loki, Prince of Asgard, was standing there studying you.</p>
<p>You stared back at him, surprised that he followed you out here. "Um. Neither."</p>
<p>"You should be grateful to them."</p>
<p>You glared at him. "For what? Taking away my free will?"</p>
<p>"Who cares about free will. You'll have everything you could ever wish for here."</p>
<p>"I never asked for this life."</p>
<p>Loki scoffed at you. "You think I did? I don't want to marry a peasant."</p>
<p>You hands balled up into fists. "I'm not a peasant nor is there anything wrong with being one."</p>
<p>"Aren't you? Did they not pluck you from obscurity in Nornheim?"</p>
<p>You wanted to take your dagger out again. This was your soon-to-be husband? The thought made you shudder with disgust. He was so arrogant.</p>
<p>"They should have at least given me a sorceress like Karnilla. I can't believe they picked you," Loki spat out in a snarky tone.</p>
<p>You swiftly seized your dagger and pointed it towards his neck. You had nothing else to say to him. You wanted to run away from here.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, he let out a short laugh when your dagger almost grazed his neck.</p>
<p>"You will make a lovely princess," he said sarcastically.</p>
<p>Loki continued on. "My magic would be such a waste on you. I suggest you return to the feast before I call the guards over here."</p>
<p>He walked away, leaving you standing there in a seething rage. You hated him already.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Inescapable Wedding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After Loki left you behind, you noticed that the guards were now keeping their tabs on you, their eyes locked onto your every move back to the palace.</p>
<p>You returned to the feast in the banquet hall shortly because you had no other choice. No matter how much you hated all of this, you didn't feel like stirring up any trouble at the moment. Especially in front of hundreds of blissfully unaware Asgardians. You felt overwhelmed, your eardrums ready to rupture due to their loud commotion and the blaring music playing in the hall.</p>
<p>Everyone except Odin was gaping at you once you sat back down at the table, but they eventually returned to their meals after a few minutes or so. Loki wouldn't even look at you for another second. He was too busy whispering something into Thor's ear, which you guessed had to concern some type of pretentious complaint about you.</p>
<p>Several minutes later, you had finally worked up enough of an appetite to take a few bites of the meaty dish in front of you without gagging at its rich smell.</p>
<p>Karnilla, ruler of Nornheim, caught your attention to interrupt your labored eating. This was the first time you had ever properly spoken to her. Loki's gaze followed her as she brought you to a private part of the banquet hall to chat, all while he completely ignored you. There was no doubt that he was also highly curious about the reason for your marriage arrangement from Karnilla's perspective.</p>
<p>Karnilla was almost as old and experienced as Odin, but she appeared as a beautiful, young, and confident woman due to her powerful magic.</p>
<p>"Y/N, I apologize for not informing you about the proposal sooner. Your family had warned me to not tell you anything. They were afraid that you would have run off," she explained.</p>
<p>Well, she was right. Your family knew you best. If they had told you about this beforehand, there was no chance in hell that you would have stayed at home to await your miserable destiny. It's likely that you would have tried to flee to another province or perhaps even Midgard to avoid this.</p>
<p>Little did they know, you would still try to run somehow. You just had to come up with a plan.</p>
<p>"Why me? Why was I picked out of every other prospect in Nornheim?" You asked her.</p>
<p>"Because you are a very distant relative of mine."</p>
<p>"I never knew that I was in your bloodline..."</p>
<p>"Neither did I, I had to search for you for a very long time. You were the only person that could make this treaty work. It had to be someone related to me, native to Nornheim, and someone who could qualify for Odin's one specification."</p>
<p>"And what was that?"</p>
<p>Karnilla's expression looked slightly displeased. "He didn't want his son marrying a sorcerer."</p>
<p>You nodded in understanding. This made sense. Although Odin had a wife and son who were both sorcerers, Asgard in general was weary of them. Odin wouldn't trust to bring another one into his family. It would be too much opposing power in the palace. In Asgard, warriors had the highest amount of honor and respect. Someone who performed magic would always be seen as lesser than. It was the way it was here.</p>
<p>Finding out you were a distant blood relative of Karnilla got you thinking. Was there a possibility you had the capability of a power you weren't aware of, you just hadn't been trained for it?</p>
<p>"If I'm in your bloodline, wouldn't that mean I do have some type of capacity for power?"</p>
<p>Karnilla just batted her eyelashes at you.</p>
<p>The answer wasn't as important to you at the moment, so you dismissed it. It was more crucial to find out why this betrothal and wedding were so rushed.</p>
<p>"Why was there a marriage involved in the treaty in the first place? What was all of this for?" You had to get to the bottom of this. There had to be something more here that Karnilla and Odin were hiding from Asgard. You deserved the right to know. Your life would be entirely changed because of it.</p>
<p>"It's a reason for which I can never tell you. It's a matter that is shrouded in great secrecy to protect and unite Asgard and Nornheim... If you have any other questions pertaining to the marriage, you can ask Loki."</p>
<p>She smiled at you and walked back to her seat at the table. She was definitely hiding something more.</p>
<p>You almost laughed at the thought of asking Loki a genuine question. There was no way he'd answer it kindly, nor straight-on to give you a solid answer. You appreciated Karnilla's brief explanation, but it wasn't enough for you. You promised yourself that someday, you would find out the true reason why you were so unfortunate to be chosen for this.</p>
<p>The night droned on. Odin and Frigga congratulated you and you had to force yourself to appear thankful. Your family, on the other hand, was ecstatic. They handed you over to the palace with no second thoughts. They expected you to submit to your new duty as a princess as they believed it was the right thing for you to do. You had to acknowledge the fact that to everyone except you, this was an honorable responsibility. However, you had many doubts that you were the right person for this.</p>
<p>Loki never spoke to you again tonight, but you were okay with that.</p>
<p>✧⋄⋆⋅✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅✧</p>
<p>A week later, after many busy preparations in the palace, your worst nightmare had come true. Your wedding day was here and you couldn't escape it.</p>
<p>You had to admit to yourself that your wedding gown was beautiful. It was tailored to fit you perfectly, but it was also needlessly heavy and constricting. Just like the recent energy of the palace. Servants, guards, citizens of Asgard, and whoever else could manage to stick their nose up into your business to congratulate you had materialized anywhere and everywhere. It reminded you of how much you didn't want this.</p>
<p>You had behaved yourself the last few days though because if there was a way you'd eventually learn to escape from all of this, you didn't want anyone to see it coming.</p>
<p>Similar to the banquet celebration, a wedding in Asgard's palace was a major event. People from all provinces, as well as Karnilla and your family returned for your wedding. Although you felt it would be justified, you didn't resent any of them for forcing you into this so suddenly. This was bigger than you and you knew that. Nevertheless, it didn't mean you had to fully accept the situation just yet.</p>
<p>Much to your dismay and similar to your expectations of this new life, you had no say in anything. No say in how your dress looked, what the decorations were for the wedding, your daily agenda, who you got to talk to, and more. You had to put on a kind smile for everything, no matter how much you detested it. If this was what being a princess was like, you didn't want it. Despite that, you remained hopeful that there would be at least some part of the palace lifestyle you could learn to tolerate in the future, all while you planned your escape.</p>
<p>The wedding ceremony was set up at Asgard's Hall of Guards, close enough to the rainbow Bifrost to where you could see it from afar. You felt as though it were taunting you. It was a bridge to your freedom.</p>
<p>The Hall of Guards was a wide area full of towering black and golden sculptures, dedicated to Asgard's greatest rulers and warriors. You felt so insignificant standing next to them.</p>
<p>You stepped onto the main platform of the hall, while servants carried the train of your dress to the side so that no one would trip on it. Odin was officiating the wedding, while Karnilla, Frigga, and Thor stood beside him. They were all dressed in their most expensive Asgardian armor and attire.</p>
<p>Everyone looked so optimistic, in contrast to you, who couldn't help but feel the exact opposite. The amount of people from the banquet hall celebration had doubled for the wedding. The Hall of Guards, as spacious and grand as it was, still suffocated you. You took a deep breath of relief when you spotted Loki arrive for the event. You wanted to get this over with.</p>
<p>Loki was wearing his golden helmet with antlers, dark green dress robes, and long, black boots. Through your veil, you were able to look in his eyes, your faces inches from each other. For the first time, he didn't turn away and you finally got a better look at his face in the bright sunlight. His green eyes were intense and serious staring back at you, although his expression overall remained neutral.</p>
<p>You didn't want to admit this to yourself, but the thought came crashing into your mind out of nowhere.</p>
<p>He looked so handsome it almost took your breath away.</p>
<p>You must have been too caught up in your emotions last week to have noticed and you didn't weren't about to dwell on it now.</p>
<p>You got through the vows and ring exchange with no incidents. You conducted yourself in the most princess-like manner you could handle. You had been training for this the past few days. Luckily for you, you didn't have to kiss the prince, all he had to do was lift your veil. If a kiss had been a condition to authenticate the wedding, you knew Loki would have refused as well.</p>
<p>You had barely seen him this week in the palace because of the preparations being made, so he had yet to warm up to you. He seemed to keep to himself a lot except for when he was fooling around with Thor. You and him also had conflicting schedules, but that didn't bother you. You wanted to avoid conversation with him again for as long as possible.</p>
<p>Odin placed a heavy, golden crown onto your head, which was bejeweled with black diamonds, emeralds, and small horns to match Loki's helm. You were officially a princess.</p>
<p>The audience of Asgardians cheered for you and Loki again, as giant, elaborate fireworks were set off. The air filled with clouds of smoke that you could taste the bitterness of in your mouth.</p>
<p>Your facial expression almost changed into disgust at the thundering applause and Loki was quick to notice this. He faked a smile for everyone and waved at them. Then, he grabbed your hand so tight you thought he might actually be trying to break it. You walked down the long stairway together and paraded around the hall.</p>
<p>You gritted your teeth. "Is the iron grip on my hand necessary?"</p>
<p>Loki nodded. "I saw that look on your face. Behave."</p>
<p>"I am. I've been behaving this entire week."</p>
<p>"Is that so? Then why did I hear the servants gossiping about you using the trees in the garden as target practice again?"</p>
<p>"That was one other time."</p>
<p>"It's twice now. Shall I tell my mother how you've been using her precious garden plants?"</p>
<p>Your voice was sincere. "I didn't know the gardens were hers. I'm sorry."</p>
<p>You guessed that Loki was closer to his mother than his father, since they were both sorcerers. Maybe this is why he'd been so rude to you in the garden. Maybe this was all just some big misunderstanding between you two that stemmed from a bad first impression.</p>
<p>Why else would he have been so rude? Was that his true personality?</p>
<p>Loki scoffed. "Please. You shouldn't have been in the gardens without permission anyway."</p>
<p>You attempted to pry your hand out of his with no luck.</p>
<p>"Ugh. Is there anything I can do around this backwards, tyrannical place without having to get permission first?" Loki's pompous attitude was pushing your buttons again.</p>
<p>"You can't speak of the palace like that any longer. You're a princess now," he scolded you.</p>
<p>"Are you telling me that you agree with everything that goes on here?"</p>
<p>"Even if I didn't agree, I would keep my mouth shut. You would do well to do the same as I."</p>
<p>"I wasn't expecting the god of mischief to be so obedient."</p>
<p>Loki looked at you offended. "Is that all I am to you? No matter what I am, at the minimum, I still have basic manners. Unlike you."</p>
<p>Loki let go of your hand and stormed off towards the wedding reception.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Friggason in the Library</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The wedding reception was held at the front of the palace, near the edge of the Bifrost's path. You and Loki greeted everyone separately after he stormed off due to your tense conversation earlier. Hopefully it didn't look too strange to Odin and the people of Asgard that he didn't want to be seen with you at the moment. Although, people were quite aware that the prince was not as boisterous and friendly as his brother, Thor.</p>
<p>It had come to your realization that this grand betrothal and wedding had yet another motivation, aside from the secret Odin and Karnilla were keeping hidden about the peace treaty. It was obvious that Odin was attempting to improve Loki's reputation to the people by making him appear more likable with your marriage to him.</p>
<p>To outsiders of the palace, not much is known about either of the prince's private lives. While growing up in Nornheim, the only thing you were aware of was that whenever Loki and Thor were together, they had an affinity for causing trouble in the palace and in other realms. Since Loki was a sorcerer and unlike most of Asgard's renowned warriors, there was more doubt sown among the people about his trustworthiness whenever an incident occurred.</p>
<p>That's all you really knew about the trickster god. You were curious to learn more about him, but not curious enough to halt your plans of scheming an escape.</p>
<p>You didn't want to be a pawn in whatever twisted game the palace was playing.</p>
<p>Recently though, the atmosphere of Asgard had changed. It was likely that Thor's coronation was coming up soon as Odin was more stern than usual, so both of the princes had been better behaved.</p>
<p>You held your fake smile wide and proud, for hours upon hours until people finally began to return to their homes from the reception. You said goodbye to your family, Karnilla, and plenty of other guests from different realms you had just met, until only the residents of the palace remained. You and Loki exchanged another brief and meaningless conversation at the end of the night. He uttered a "Congratulations, princess" to you in the most unimaginably snide way possible before he retreated back to his quarters.</p>
<p>Would he ever try to get to know you better? Why did he seem so resentful towards you? Your reasons for disliking him were crystal clear, he was far too arrogant to hang around for long. But having a bad first impression with him and you not being from a noble family did not seem like strong enough reasons for him to dislike you so much. There had to be something else.</p>
<p>You thought again about how this wedding had been a symbol of peace and unity between Asgard's governing palace and Nornheim. Could you really be selfish enough to ruin that? If you found a way to escape, would you try to?</p>
<p>From Odin and Karnilla's perspective, people's lives were on the line for this. Supposedly the protection of the entirety of Nine Realms. You really had no right to try to obstruct their plans with your selfish desires.</p>
<p>But they also had no right to take your life away.</p>
<p>You hated this monarchist regime. Asgard had been like this for centuries, even before Odin was king, and you couldn't do anything to change that. You either had to learn to live with this life or leave here forever.</p>
<p>You had to admit that Loki had a point the first night you met him. You should be grateful for this opportunity. For now, you'd pretend to be. You could only pretend because that shining, glittering Bifrost was so tempting to you. It called you to escape to a life where you could be unconditionally free and your true self.</p>
<p>And there was a strong, undeniable part of you that needed that type of liberty to thrive. A part of you that awakened at moments you couldn't control. Much to your chagrin, Loki brought that part out of you. He represented all of the things you hated most about the palace and here, you were nothing more but another facade of it.</p>
<p>Guards and servants began returning to the palace for the night. Not many people seemed to be around, so you managed to sneak your way towards the Bifrost to investigate it.</p>
<p>You had probably been staring at it for ten minutes until someone eventually noticed you.</p>
<p>It was Frigga, queen of Asgard.</p>
<p>"Hello, dear."</p>
<p>"Hello..." Your voice trailed off. You weren't sure how to react to her.</p>
<p>"How are you doing?"</p>
<p>Was she suspicious of you? You wondered if she had the power to read minds. You weren't entirely sure what she or Loki were capable of with their magic.</p>
<p>"Honestly? I've been sulking around the palace ever since the engagement." You felt as though you should be truthful. It was the least you could do out of respect for her.</p>
<p>"I don't blame you. It must've been hard to have your life change so drastically on a moment's notice."</p>
<p>"Thank you... By the way, I apologize for what I did to your garden. I shouldn't have gone in there."</p>
<p>"Y/N, it's okay. You had just received some very surprising news. I heard that Karnilla kept it from you. I would not expect anyone to behave appropriately to such a sudden revelation."</p>
<p>She was so understanding and kind, it almost threw you off. Everyone else in the palace, especially Loki, had either been cold or indifferent towards you.</p>
<p>"I appreciate that, your highness. I'll make sure to ask for permission if I'm near there again."</p>
<p>Frigga laughed softly. "You don't need permission. Visit anytime. The garden may bring to you the calm and comfort you need as it brings to me."</p>
<p>You bowed to her and she smiled.</p>
<p>"About the prince..." you wanted to finish your sentence but you didn't know exactly what to say.</p>
<p>"What is it?"</p>
<p>"I don't think he likes me very much. And I'd like it to at least be cordial between us."</p>
<p>By cordial, you meant uninvolved. You didn't want to be on bad terms with him, as it felt awkward. You wanted to be able to have a simple conversation with him that wouldn't lead into a heated argument. You acknowledged that part of this terrible first impression was partially your fault, as you should have been more respectful. You just couldn't control your emotions that first day.</p>
<p>"Yes, I heard that things between you and him have been unpleasant. Over time, he will warm up to you and so will the palace lifestyle. I promise."</p>
<p>Wow. Word traveled that fast around here? What had she heard about you?</p>
<p>Frigga seemed hopeful, but you weren't completely convinced yet. Something about Loki's consistently harsh and prideful attitude towards you set you off. That being said, you would try to remain neutral towards him and this situation if possible. If.</p>
<p>You bowed to Frigga again. "Thank you so much for your kindness and advice."</p>
<p>She patted you on the back lightly. "If you ever need anything, come to me. You're part of our family now."</p>
<p>That was one good thing you could look forward to about living in the palace. Being around Frigga.</p>
<p>✧⋄⋆⋅✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅✧</p>
<p>A couple days later, you found yourself in the palace library for your scheduled free-time.</p>
<p>You couldn't even swallow the fact that your free time was scheduled. It was so ridiculous to you, but you tried not to think about it as you browsed for a good book to bide your time with.</p>
<p>The ancient library was vast and had soaring shelves divided into sections for every genre of book you could think of. It was so serene in there with such few people and it smelled of old, papery volumes.</p>
<p>You found a book to read after some time and sat down with it at one of the tables near the back of the library, hoping no one would disturb you. The servants would come to get you when you needed to return to your etiquette training and to whatever other required princess duties you had to perform.</p>
<p>You opened your book up and began to read, trying to imagine yourself into a different reality. This could be a way to tolerate your new palace lifestyle.</p>
<p>"Princess. Why are you here?" The way he called you princess sounded oddly condescending.</p>
<p>You looked up from your book to see Loki looking down at you. Both literally and metaphorically speaking. You had to stop yourself from groaning at the sight of him.</p>
<p>"This is a public space for everyone in the palace to enjoy. I can be where I want."</p>
<p>"I'm aware. However, this is one of the only places that I can come to have complete peace and silence away from my family."</p>
<p>Why did he even need a place to avoid his family to begin with? Was there more trouble brewing within their family than you expected due to Thor's possible upcoming coronation?</p>
<p>"And who's the one interrupting that silence? If I saw you here, I would've been polite and ignored you."</p>
<p>"I highly doubt that. I had no idea a former peasant would even like literature," he commented rudely, trying to push your buttons again.</p>
<p>"Stop looking down at anyone who is from outside the palace walls. It's unkind and obnoxious." You wanted to take your book and hit him with it.</p>
<p>Loki made a sound of disapproval and headed towards the opposite side of the library to sit down. He buried his head in a large, thick book about sorcery.</p>
<p>You noticed him taking brief, annoyed glances at you. It bothered you so much that you couldn't focus on what you were currently reading.</p>
<p>"Do you need something?" you whispered loudly from across the room.</p>
<p>"This is my spot. I'm the only one who can come here," he demanded.</p>
<p>"No way. I'm free to do whatever I want in my spare time."</p>
<p>The librarian glared at you two. "SHUSH!"</p>
<p>"Sorry," you said, bowing your head slightly towards her.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a glowing, green orb surrounded your book and it went flying out of your hands and into Loki's grasp. He pursed his lips together as he flipped through it.</p>
<p>"A book about Midgard? I've been there before. It was exceptionally below average."</p>
<p>"No magic in the library, PLEASE!" the librarian muttered harshly at Loki.</p>
<p>Loki ignored her.</p>
<p>You came waltzing towards him and held your hand out for the book. "Give it back."</p>
<p>Loki shook his head.</p>
<p>You grabbed your book out of his hands but he then grabbed it back, a lot rougher than you were expecting. You were now fighting over it because he wouldn't let go.</p>
<p>At your age, you were already considered young adults in Asgard, for crying out loud. Was this supposed to be his playful side? It seemed more like bullying to you. Although, you guessed you should expect nothing less from the god of mischief.</p>
<p>He didn't seem to be as full of hatred for you today, so maybe Frigga had talked to him after your conversation at the wedding reception.</p>
<p>"Could you stop being such a child?"</p>
<p>"Could you start acting like an actual princess?" He snarled back. "Princesses are supposed to be docile and obedient."</p>
<p>You glared at him. "Well, if I'm not suited to be a princess, you're certainly not suited to be a prince."</p>
<p>"And why is that?"</p>
<p>"You're self-righteous, rude, and unwelcoming."</p>
<p>You were expecting him to be angry, but instead he smiled mischievously, causing you to lose your train of thought. It was hard to hate him entirely when he smiled.</p>
<p>It felt wrong, because you were almost enjoying this. So much for being neutral towards him.</p>
<p>He was about to respond to your list of insults when the librarian power-walked over to you two and snatched your books away. She forcefully pulled you and Loki out of the library by your ears.</p>
<p>SLAM! The librarian closed the doors behind her.</p>
<p>Loki brushed himself off. "She should NOT be touching me like that. I can't believe you got us kicked out... My one place of solace," he complained, shaking his head.</p>
<p>You had a feeling that this marked the very beginning of all the tricks that he'd play on you.</p>
<p>"I got us kicked out? If you would have just given me my book back, we could still be in there right now. I hate - "</p>
<p>Your argument was cut off by two Einherjar guards approaching you and Loki.</p>
<p>"King Odin would like a word with the prince and princess," one of them announced.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>FOR CONTEXT: This version of Loki is more like the one in the first Thor movie, he's younger and still learning to master his magic. He doesn't know about him being adopted yet and Thor hasn't been sent to Earth. It's more similar to how Loki is in the book, "Where Mischief Lies," where he is sent on a mission to Midgard. If you haven't read it, I strongly recommend it!</p>
<p>Also, I noticed that some younger people have been reading my story, I'd just like to caution again that this will have some more mature/adult elements in it and it is likely to take some darker turns as Loki and Y/N get closer. The next two chapters will set a bit of a different tone as to how the story will go but I do want everyone to enjoy this as much as possible. Read at your own discretion.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. First Chance at Freedom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You and Loki bowed to Odin with your fists over your hearts. The Einherjar guards had taken you and Loki to the Valaskjalf palace's throne room. Odin sat there boldly, his intimidating presence filling the entire space with rigidness, causing an unanticipated sense of anxiety to creep up into your mind.</p>
<p>"You must visit Nornheim tomorrow to present Karnilla with a gift. The Pendant of Everlasting Health from my treasure vault," Odin ordered. "This is a gift of gratitude for her acceptance to the treaty."</p>
<p>You wanted to question what this was really for. Had Odin gotten more out of this treaty than Karnilla or was it the other way around? Wasn't your rushed marriage a present enough to them both? Was this trip just another ruse to display a false sense of peace between Asgard and Nornheim for people to blindly believe in?</p>
<p>Nonetheless, your recent princess etiquette training told you otherwise. It was simply unacceptable to question the king. So you held yourself back and stayed silent, giving into what was expected of you.</p>
<p>"Present the necklace to Karnilla and meet with the locals to strengthen Asgard's unity with them. Be on your best behavior."</p>
<p>"We won't let you down, father." Loki promised Odin, averting eye contact with him and instead looking at you expectedly.</p>
<p>It took all of your self-control to not let out a large, exasperated sigh. "My king, it would be an honor to serve Asgard with this assignment," you replied, with no waver in your voice. Your training had paid off.</p>
<p>The Einherjar guards handed a velvet case to Loki, who took it proudly.</p>
<p>"You're dismissed," the king commanded. You almost winced when Odin brought down the spear of Gungnir onto the floor, its sound reverberating across the whole throne room. He was dead serious about the importance of this assignment. Perhaps this was a test for you to prove your worthiness of being a royal. Good thing you never cared about being a royal.</p>
<p>You and Loki were silently walking over to the palace courtyard together when Frigga approached you from the gardens, where she had been working all day.</p>
<p>"I wish you two the best on this trip."</p>
<p>Neither you or Loki said anything back, staring at her with blank expressions on your faces. You weren't sure what to expect from Loki tomorrow.</p>
<p>"You can think of it as a honeymoon," Frigga recommended.</p>
<p>You cringed at her use of the word, while Loki appeared to be attempting to drown out his mother's suggestion somehow by shaking his head.</p>
<p>"Please interact more thoughtfully and get to know each other better," she said. Frigga looked back and forth between you two, wondering why neither of you had said a single word. It must have truly dawned on her just now; how alienated you two had become through such a hurried coronation. You knew she didn't blame you for it, but it was hard to not feel awkward around them both like this.</p>
<p>Loki's gaze turned towards the cold, marble floor while yours shifted back to the doors of the throne room. You would've preferred to be stared down by Odin's single eye than this.</p>
<p>"That's an order," Frigga spoke with a sudden, stern voice.</p>
<p>"Yes, my queen," you said, bowing your head to her while Loki did the same.</p>
<p>Frigga wished you luck one more time and then left shortly to return to her garden. Loki looked at you again, probably waiting for you to complain about this.</p>
<p>"I'll see you tomorrow," you told him, leaving to go to your quarters to mope around some more and prepare for your trip. You wondered if Loki would get to meet your family and how he'd react to them now that he was supposed to be on his "best" behavior. You supposed you would have to be as well.</p>
<p>Loki grabbed your wrist to stop you. "If you do anything to screw this up..."</p>
<p>You furrowed your eyebrows at him.</p>
<p>"Odin won't be the only one to punish you," he warned.</p>
<p>His grasp on your wrist tightened and his eyes bore into yours intensely. You wanted to look away from him but you couldn't resist his piercing glare.</p>
<p>What was he implying? How cruel could the prince really be? He hadn't given you such an ominous warning before...  You snapped yourself out of your thoughts and threw his wrist off of you. "Is that a threat, prince?"</p>
<p>"So what if it is?"</p>
<p>Your hand gravitated over the hilt of your knife. "I'll stick my dagger up - " You stopped yourself.</p>
<p>Loki raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon? I wanted to hear what you were about to say."</p>
<p>"No. It wasn't appropriate. I shouldn't talk to you like that."</p>
<p>You were screaming at yourself inside your head. You didn't want to be the docile princess he thought you should be. You hated his patronizing tone of voice more than anything in this palace, but you had to start restraining yourself. You had to behave so he'd never see your future escape coming.</p>
<p>He smirked. "Hm. That's more like it."</p>
<p>You cursed at him under your breath as you watched him walk off pleased, he always seemed to get the last word. You couldn't let him win again.</p>
<p>✧⋄⋆⋅✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅✧</p>
<p>Nornheim. Your home. An independently-ruled province of Asgard that was partially underground, hidden in a dense cover of thick, ancient trees. The sense of familiarity that being here brought you made you feel genuinely glad to be back.</p>
<p>Accompanied by a small group of Einherjar guards, you and Loki immediately proceeded to Karnilla's palace by horse. Her palace was at the center of Nornheim, called the Nornkeep.</p>
<p>The thought of meeting with Karnilla again made you feel slightly dreadful. She appeared to be hospitable to you at the banquet hall, but the fact that she hadn't informed you about the proposal still rubbed you the wrong way. You couldn't erase the feeling from your mind about her having some sort of hidden agenda in all of this. Although, right now Loki appeared to pose more of a threat to you than she did, with his vague warning of a "punishment" yesterday.</p>
<p>As leader of Nornheim, Karnilla wasn't as much of a monarch as Odin and didn't rule with such an iron fist. She was more lenient and let people of the province govern themselves. However, over the years, this had fired back on her. Nornheim had turned into a corrupt and falling regime, Karnilla struggling to control all of its madness from her palace. Even her powerful, ancient magic couldn't help control the chaos. She wasn't the only sorcerer in Nornheim that was vying for an eternal spot on Nornkeep's throne.</p>
<p>Odin took notice of this corruption and began helping Karnilla bring Nornheim back to its former glory, since he couldn't let anywhere in Asgard fail. It was still his responsibility to look over all provinces and realms as king.</p>
<p>After some time, that's where this marriage treaty had come in. You should have seen this coming. Although you never would've expected it to have been you, a marriage to create a sense of stability and peace within all of Asgard made sense. There were so many hidden motivations for this marriage, you were beginning to lose track of them each time you learned of a new one.</p>
<p>Yet you couldn't forget the major secret Karnilla had alluded to, something she couldn't tell you as another reason for this marriage. The main reason. It was slowly gnawing away at your brain.</p>
<p>Was it better to remain ignorant about this secret or should you just let it go? What would it change if you knew? Would the truth somehow hurt you or Loki?</p>
<p>Karnilla welcomed you and Loki into her palace warmly. It was a large, luxury cave adorned with sparkling jewels and vibrant plants. Even Loki looked impressed. The atmosphere here was not as intense as Odin's in his throne room, but there was an unmistakable lushness of magic that emanated throughout the cave that you couldn't deny. Her powers were elite.</p>
<p>Loki presented her with the necklace and you and him respectfully chatted with her for a bit about the current state of affairs in Asgard and other useless royal things that you didn't care a single ounce about. Loki seemed relieved though, when you hadn't manage to utter one negative thing about the palace during your conversation with Karnilla. It had certainly taken a lot of concentration and willpower for you.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Karnilla was pleased with her gift from Odin and she didn't keep you there for too long.</p>
<p>Before you knew it, you were exiting the Nornkeep and preparing to mount your horses again to ride through the province to see what the locals were up to.</p>
<p>Except Loki had disappeared suddenly and was nowhere to be seen. You looked around for several minutes while the guards stayed put on their horses.</p>
<p>Where could he have gone?</p>
<p>The prince wasn't here right now and you couldn't care less about what types of tricks he was up to. There were only a few guards around. This was your chance. Your first chance at freedom.</p>
<p>You jumped onto your horse and sped through the cave towards the outside of the province, not looking back to see whether or not the guards were chasing after you. You began to plot your fortuitous escape. You hadn't planned on doing something like this so early on, but you had to take a risk.</p>
<p>Near where you had grown up, there was a murky forest where no one should be able to find you. You could hide for awhile there. Once Loki and the guards finally called off looking for you after a few hours, you would flee to a different province and learn to blend in, changing your identity and reinventing yourself.</p>
<p>You reached a small village that was deeper into the forest at the edge of Nornheim. You left your horse by some local's stables so no one could track you. You had enough currency to last you awhile, and you quickly grabbed whatever supplies you could find at the shops.</p>
<p>After about an hour of traveling by foot, you headed towards another town. You would keep traveling at a moderate pace and you wouldn't stop moving until you were far from Karnilla and far from the palace and far from your family.</p>
<p>You didn't care how important this assignment was to Asgard. Your freedom was more important to you. You knew it was selfish but you couldn't stop yourself. To hell with Odin. To hell with the prince - Uh oh.</p>
<p>"Where do you think you're going, princess?" Loki asked you, appearing out of nowhere. He was crossing his arms and looking at you disappointed. None of the guards were with him.</p>
<p>"Um. I was...." Your voice trailed off.</p>
<p>"If I didn't know it any better, I'd think you were trying to run away."</p>
<p>You were panicking and weren't sure of what to say. You didn't know how strong Loki's magic was. Would he be able to stop you from running?</p>
<p>"Where were you?" He asked suspiciously. "What could you possibly be doing all the way out here?"</p>
<p>You avoided his question. "Where were you?"</p>
<p>"Nowhere important."</p>
<p>"I looked for you for almost thirty minutes and I didn't see you anywhere," you said, irritated.</p>
<p>"I looked for you for an hour," Loki retorted.</p>
<p>"Then we're even. What were you doing?" You knew there was no use in deflecting the obvious situation at hand, but you had to stall so you could come up with another plan.</p>
<p>"I was sneaking around Karnilla's cave to find more out about our arrangement."</p>
<p>"Odin ordered us to be on our best behavior," you said, scratching your head nervously.</p>
<p>"Well you're not doing a very good job of that either, are you?"</p>
<p>"What did you find out about Karnilla?"</p>
<p>"I'm not going to tell you. You don't need to know," he said, straight-faced.</p>
<p>"I have much of a right to know why we were forced into this marriage as you do."</p>
<p>"Perhaps. I don't feel like telling you what I discovered. Not after I found you here, trying to escape. Maybe I would've told you if you had waited for me to return patiently, like a good little princess should."</p>
<p>You snatched your dagger out of its hilt and took a step towards him, aiming it at his neck. "If you're not going to tell me what you found out about Karnilla, then you're going to let me leave."</p>
<p>"Or what? You'll kill me?"</p>
<p>"I'll try."</p>
<p>Loki chuckled darkly. It was the first time you had heard him laugh so loudly before. Except this was not a bright nor cheerful laugh, it was a mocking one.</p>
<p>"Then go ahead and try," Loki challenged you.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Sudden Danger in Nornheim</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>tw: brief depictions of attempted violence, suggestive content</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You weren't expecting him to react the way he did. It caught you off guard. Most people wouldn't act so nonchalant with a knife pointed towards their neck.</p>
<p>You lunged forward and attempted to plunge your dagger into his abdomen, but he dodged your attack and disappeared into a green curtain of light.</p>
<p>Then, he materialized behind you. "Did you honestly think your dagger could even graze me?" He asked, taunting you and chuckling under his breath.</p>
<p>You felt pathetic, but you had to keep trying. You ran towards him, only for you to go straight through his body, the prince appearing on the other side of you, yet again. He had to have a weakness, but you didn't think you'd have enough time to figure that out right now.</p>
<p>Instead of attacking him again, you took a step back and threw your dagger at the tree next to him, barely missing his face. He didn't blink nor move a single muscle.</p>
<p>Loki snickered, while plucking your dagger out of the tree. "Nice try, princess."</p>
<p>It was only a distraction. You ran for the trees as fast as you could. Maybe he had magic and illusions, but there was no doubt in your mind that you were quicker than him. Running was what you were good at. You sped through the trees and headed west into the forest. You weren't exactly sure where you were going, but you knew that you'd have to come upon another village eventually.</p>
<p>The trees opened up into a clearing with a narrow, streaming river running through the middle. You stopped for just a moment to drink and splash water onto your face.</p>
<p>You felt a presence behind you and slowly turned around, hoping it wasn't Loki. It wasn't. It was a dark and monstrous bear-like creature with huge fangs, and it was taking slow, calculated steps towards you.</p>
<p>You didn't have your dagger anymore, so you had no chance of defending yourself against it. You should've started running again, but you froze in your fear. You were seconds away from being eaten.</p>
<p>It was ready to pounce on you, right as a blade pierced into its chest, causing the bear to fall backwards and plop onto the dirt. You gasped in shock as you watched it lay limp on the ground.</p>
<p>Loki stood there above it, looking down at you, crossing his arms, and shaking his head. He whistled and his horse came galloping towards you. "Get on the horse," he ordered.</p>
<p>You brushed yourself off and faced him. "I'm not going with you."</p>
<p>"No acknowledgement for saving your life? You were on the verge of being ripped to shreds."</p>
<p>"Thank you." You were frozen for another second until you bolted for the trees again, but this time Loki appeared in front of you and you ran right into him. He picked you up and threw you over his shoulders. He might not have had the look of a bulky-muscled warrior like his brother Thor, but he was definitely as strong as one.</p>
<p>"Put me down!" You yelled at him, thrashing around as violently as you could. You only calmed down once he placed you onto the horse as to not scare it. He mounted the horse behind you and it went galloping quickly through the trees, preventing you from trying to jump off.</p>
<p>He ignored all of your pleas to stop the horse for the next few minutes. "We're returning to the nearest village. It's too late to return to Nornkeep or Asgard. It's already nightfall."</p>
<p>"LET ME OFF THIS HORSE!" You screamed.</p>
<p>"Shhh... Are you sure you want me to let you off here? So you can fend for yourself among whatever other dangers might lurk in these woods?"</p>
<p>You looked around. The forest was darker than it was before, almost pitch black. The only thing that lit your way back towards civilization was the moonlight reflecting on the trees and ground. You shuddered thinking about what else might be around here.</p>
<p>"Give me my dagger back. I can survive," you assured him. And yourself.</p>
<p>Loki let out a demeaning laugh, full of ridicule. "No you can't."</p>
<p>"Yes, I can. Let me off."</p>
<p>"Never," Loki said calmly. He pushed himself into your back and you felt his hot breath run down your neck. He then gripped onto your hands tightly, where you were holding onto the horse's reins to keep yourself steady. The sudden skin-to-skin contact evoked a strange feeling in your stomach. This was the closest you'd ever been with him. You were trying so desperately to ignore the feeling of his solid chest against your back.</p>
<p>"I hate you," you told him plainly. You purposely made it clear you hated him to fight that sudden rush of emotion within. You had to say it out loud, you had to hear those words, so you could believe them too. Why were you feeling this way? Did you really hate him? Or did you only hate where he was from and what he represented?</p>
<p>"And I, you. I resent you, in fact."</p>
<p>"Why?" Unfortunately, you had opened up an invitation for Loki to go on a tirade of his complaints about you.</p>
<p>"You were given the whole world, a palace ripe of honor and power, and you attempted to throw it all away because you think you hate a place and a life you barely know anything of yet. I won't be telling Odin about this little mishap, because it's far too shameful for the both of us. This past fortnight, I had been avoiding your ungrateful face at all costs, but I don't think I can keep you out of my sight any longer. You will not be embarrassing us by trying to run again, princess," he spat out, with a tone of voice that felt like the bite of a venomous snake.</p>
<p>You were silent the rest of the way back to the village.  He had a point. His spoken hatred for you was stronger than you had imagined and you didn't know how to change that. And for some odd reason, you were beginning to care about what he thought of you.</p>
<p>✧⋄⋆⋅✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅✧</p>
<p>Loki sent a message by raven to Odin and the Einherjar guards of where you were and why you hadn't come back yet. His excuse was that you had lost your way in the forest in a desperate attempt to visit your family because you missed them.</p>
<p>Loki found the nicest inn that he could stomach staying in, according to his so-called royal standards. "It's far too busy for my taste, but it'll have to do," he commented.</p>
<p>The inn had a large, bustling tavern in its front lobby. When you and him entered in, all of the patrons inside bowed. Loki gave them a slight nod and headed towards the room he had booked, forcing you to follow him.</p>
<p>It was the most expensive room out of the inn, a master's suite with a sitting room at its center and a large, king-sized bed. You eyes locked onto the bed and you stared at it, feeling a sense of distress.</p>
<p>"Why didn't you get me my own room?" You asked him.</p>
<p>"I don't trust you to stay alone for the night without making another run for it."</p>
<p>"I won't. I promise I'll stay. Please get me another room," you asked in the kindest tone of voice manageable.</p>
<p>Loki shook his head.</p>
<p>"You could tie me up to the bed for all I care, get me another room."</p>
<p>One of the corners of his lips pulled up as you realized you should've worded what you said differently.</p>
<p>"I didn't mean it like that. I meant - "</p>
<p>Loki immediately shoved his palm onto your forehead and you found yourself thinking of exactly how he had misinterpreted your request. He was on top of you -</p>
<p>You shoved his palm off of you before the images in your mind got too graphic. "Never do that again." You had no idea that he had a power like that. Telepathy.</p>
<p>"It appears you don't hate me so much after all, Y/N." This was the first time he called you by your name.</p>
<p>You stared at him speechless, trying to make up a comeback or search for anything to say to negate what he saw in your head, but your mind just went blank. He stared back at you with darkening green eyes so intense, you lost track of time. You could've sworn he was leaning into you to try something.</p>
<p>You thought he hated you too after his rant earlier in the forest. So why was he -</p>
<p>There was a knock on the door. The Einherjar guards interrupted you, right in the nick of time. You weren't sure what you would've done if you had been left alone with him for a minute longer.</p>
<p>"I'm hungry," you mumbled as you walked out of the room in one swift movement. You headed towards the tavern, the guards and Loki following you after a short chat.</p>
<p>You sat down at a small table in a quiet corner of the pub and ordered something, as Loki sat down in front of you. The guards stood in the corner of the room and watched you both.</p>
<p>"Do they have to follow us everywhere?" You asked, sighing at the sight of their enormous, horned helmets and expressionless stares.</p>
<p>Loki shook his head. "Leave us. We'll head to our room for the night after this." The guards listened to his orders and retreated back into the lobby, likely to book their own room.</p>
<p>You and Loki stared at each other blankly.</p>
<p>"What are you thinking about?" He asked you, the palm of his hand slowly lifting up. It was obvious the mood between you two had shifted into something unexpected and it made you uncomfortable. You were trying your hardest to not like him in any sort of manner.</p>
<p>"If you try to read my mind again, your hand is getting chopped off," you threatened. You showed him your bejeweled dagger that you had stolen back from him when you were on the horse together.</p>
<p>Loki laughed mischievously. "You're fast. I didn't realize you had taken it back. I can't believe I even had to ride my horse to catch up with you earlier."</p>
<p>"Loki." He looked at you serious when you used his name for the first time today, too. "Why won't you let me leave?"</p>
<p>"It would look bad for Asgard. For both of us."</p>
<p>"I don't think that's the real reason you care so much. This marriage wasn't fair, don't you agree?"</p>
<p>"I told you already. Whether or not I disagree about anything in Asgard, I keep my mouth shout."</p>
<p>"Why? Tell me the truth."</p>
<p>Loki was shaking his head. "You wouldn't understand."</p>
<p>"How can I if you won't tell me a single thing?"</p>
<p>Loki sighed loudly. "I can't speak ill of Asgard because I must please Odin. In order to be king."</p>
<p>"King? You can't be king. You're not Odin's firstborn."</p>
<p>He looked extremely offended. "Thor can't be king either. He's too reckless."</p>
<p>"So you hate me because you want to be king and I'm threatening to ruin your growing reputation?"</p>
<p>"Exactly. Not to mention how my father chose me for this marriage because he didn't want his favorite son, precious Thor marrying a peasant. However, he thought I was certainly worthy of one." His tone was so low it was practically a growl.</p>
<p>You could hear the rage and disgust in his voice. Loki's eyes weren't on you, but on a pint of mead the waiter had brought out. At least he didn't look at you when he said this, otherwise you might've cried.</p>
<p>His words stung you, even though they hadn't before. You were never considered a peasant in Nornheim, but that word was finally beginning to hurt your pride. "You need to let that go."</p>
<p>He scoffed, "You need to let go of your old life. Stop running away and submit to your new one."</p>
<p>"I can't submit. It's not who I am," you admitted candidly.</p>
<p>"Oh, we'll see about that." He stared at you with a menacing glare, filled with intrigue and lust. It lit a fire within you that you weren't bothering to extinguish, because only he could put it out.</p>
<p>Loki broke eye contact with you shortly and got up, walking back to the room. He sent one of the guards out to watch you while you ate dinner.</p>
<p>You took a deep breath of relief and cooled yourself down. That moment in the bedroom had changed something between you two, and you had initiated it by mistake with your inarticulate thoughts. Would you fight this feeling or run with it? Would you run from him again?</p>
<p>After all, there was a thin line between love and hate. In this case, that line was passion. You were both passionate about something, something you would have to fight for - to fight each other for. He was after power, while you were after your freedom. And in the end, only one of you could get what you wanted.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Trickster's Apprentice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, you woke up with Loki's arms around you.</p>
<p>After he had left you to finish your meal last night in the tavern, you returned to your room, only to find him already fast asleep. He was sprawled out in the middle of the bed, purposely leaving no room for you to lay down with him. It was likely he did this so that you would have to resort to sleeping on the sofa. He probably thought that this was what a "peasant" like you rightfully deserved, especially after you tried escaping yesterday - and more than once.</p>
<p>You couldn't let him win. Luckily, he was in a deep sleep when you arrived and you were able to roll him to his own side, so close to the edge of the bed that he could fall straight off. It was the perfect solution. Until you both woke up.</p>
<p>"Keep your hands to yourself." You flung his arms off of you and pushed yourself off of the bed in a rushed, frantic hurry. There was no time for you to reflect on your growing feelings for him - which you weren't sure was completely hatred anymore after he saved your life.</p>
<p>"This is certainly a contrast from what you were thinking about - " Loki's comment was cut off by you throwing a pillow at his face.</p>
<p>The tour around Nornheim with the prince wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. He behaved himself, even when you brought him to your home village to get better acquainted with your family. However, you did witness it a couple times when he grimaced to himself in disgust at the quality of the food in the province.</p>
<p>It was a bit of a shock when you returned to your family home though, as it had been renovated entirely. Apparently, both Odin and Karnilla had sent your family a lofty sum of money and an array of presents to them for your marriage to Loki. You weren't mad about it, but it did feel like they had practically sold you off to Asgard - if you were thinking about this in a more crude sense. But your family was happier with this stabler lifestyle provided for them because of your wedding, and that made you feel a tiny sense of satisfaction for them and yourself.</p>
<p>You returned to Asgard and everyone, including Odin, congratulated you on your successful trip. The townspeople were satisfied with the interactions you and Loki had with them and they had said nothing but great things about you two. If you weren't imagining it, you swore that Loki even smiled at you for a second. It was almost too good to be true.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, there was now a brand new problem you had to face. Loki was practically breathing down your back at all times, appearing in random places to disturb your peace and pester you about anything he could that was considered "unprincess-like." He wasn't joking when he said he wouldn't take his eyes off of you any longer. You were thankful that he saved your life, but he had now become your captor. This must have been the punishment he had promised to you if you had tried to screw the trip up, which you did.</p>
<p>The trip had brought you closer together and you now knew Loki's motives for treating you so harshly in the beginning. There was some understanding there, so he wasn't as rude to you as before. Not to mention the unexpected moment of desire you had for him, that you were trying your best to block out of your memory.</p>
<p>Even if you understood him better, that didn't mean you were going to help him become king. You still had your own goals and your own future to hope for, and none included Asgard. It seemed rather shameful, but you took advantage of what you had learned about Loki's comments towards Thor being reckless. Their relationship was turbulent as the moment and you knew there was one place Loki would hesitate to follow you too. You wanted to be free of him for just a day.</p>
<p>✧⋄⋆⋅✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅✧</p>
<p>You found Thor at Asgard's warrior arena where him, Sif, and the Warriors Three, Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg were sparring and training for future missions. There was also a target practice range there for axe and knife throwing. You had gotten to know Thor briefly over the past couple of weeks, and you usually steered clear of him because he and his friends had a similar sense of arrogance as Loki did; which you preferred to avoid.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, after spending some time with Thor and his friends, you came to find they weren't as bad as you thought they would be. Sif was friendly and taught you some defensive moves and how to swing a sword in a battle.</p>
<p>"Y/N, show us what you can do," Thor suggested.</p>
<p>You were a bit hesitant at first, but you got up to the platform in front of the targets. You reached for your dagger and threw it. Bullseye.</p>
<p>They all cheered for you, which almost made you blush. "That's about the only thing I can do. It's more of a hobby, I've never been trained for anything," you commented.</p>
<p>"You have a talent for it," said Hogun.</p>
<p>"Thank you," I replied.</p>
<p>"Y/N, why don't you train with us from now on?" asked Sif.</p>
<p>Thor nodded. "Great idea, Sif. I'm surprised my father or brother hadn't suggested it yet. Warrior training is a big part of our culture here in Asgard, especially the palace."</p>
<p>"It would probably give you an upper-hand over Loki when he annoys you. Learn how to fight him back," suggested Fandral. They all laughed, but you stayed silent.</p>
<p>"How has he been? The little weasel - " Thor was cut off by Loki entering the outdoor arena.</p>
<p>"What are you doing here, princess?" Loki asked you, ignoring everyone else.</p>
<p>"She's training with us," said Sif, stepping up to him.</p>
<p>"There's no need for her to train to be a warrior. Asgard has enough of those already," Loki complained, gritting his teeth.</p>
<p>"I disagree wholeheartedly. She should learn the rightful ways of Asgard," Thor replied.</p>
<p>"No. Not everyone in Asgard needs to train to be a mindless brute," Loki spat back.</p>
<p>Everyone except you looked at him offended. Loki and Thor stared at each other angrily, causing Volstagg to step in between them.</p>
<p>"Let's go," said Loki to you.</p>
<p>"I don't want to. This is my free-time," you replied.</p>
<p>"Y/N," was all Loki said.</p>
<p>You shook your head.</p>
<p>"Might I remind you of what happened in Nornheim? You owe me one," Loki said in a threatening tone, crossing his arms.</p>
<p>"What happened in Nornheim?" Sif asked, raising an eyebrow.</p>
<p>You shrugged it off. "Fine." You followed Loki silently back into the palace courtyard to a private spot, waiting for him to pester you even more.</p>
<p>"So this is how you repay me? After I saved your life when you were so intent on killing me?" He asked, rubbing the temples of his forehead.</p>
<p>"I didn't know you were expecting something in return."</p>
<p>"I wasn't. Just stay away from Thor and his sidekicks."</p>
<p>"Why should I? They liked me."</p>
<p>"They don't like me."</p>
<p>"That sounds like your problem, not mine."</p>
<p>Loki shook his head in exasperation. "I can't believe this. You actually enjoyed spending time with those people?"</p>
<p>You rolled your eyes. "Honestly, except for Frigga, I see everyone in this palace as an equal pain in my ass, but you're far above everyone else. Congratulations."</p>
<p>Surprisingly, Loki laughed. "Glad to know you think of me so strongly, regardless."</p>
<p>"Loki. They had a good point. I should be learning to defend myself, especially after that creature tried to attack me in Nornheim."</p>
<p>Loki sighed deeply. "I see... But you will NOT become a warrior. You're Karnilla's bloodline, which means you have potential. I can't believe I'm doing this... I will teach you magic, just like my mother taught me."</p>
<p>✧⋄⋆⋅✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅✧</p>
<p>Loki taught you basic spells for the rest of the week. You met him at the library, where he gathered books for you to study and then take back to his quarters; as that was the only place where Loki could cast a spell to keep yourselves hidden from Heimdall's view. Odin couldn't learn of Loki's new apprentice.</p>
<p>Loki's room was enormous in comparison to yours, it was basically its own part of the palace. It had archways, pillars, plants, a sitting room, a balcony overlooking Asgard, and even its own kitchen with servants. Everything was either green, gold, or black, and there were stacks of books everywhere. You hadn't been in his actual bedchamber yet, but you guessed you'd probably have to move into there at some point.</p>
<p>The more time that went on, the more suspicious it looked to the people of the palace that you and Loki were not quite acquainted yet. However, you and him had been mending this impression since you were spending more time together. And he had been slightly less of a jerk to you now that he was teaching you magic.</p>
<p>At first, you weren't even sure if you were capable of magic and Loki wasn't either. Although it didn't come easily to you, you soon found out that you did have a spark of power within you. Which you were excited about, so you studied as best as you could to ignite this power.</p>
<p>Most of the time, Loki stayed silent while he watched you study in his quarters, after ordering you to read one of the books he borrowed from the library. Or you would watch him demonstrate some of his spells. Conversation was kept to a minimum to avoid an argument, which you had no objections to.</p>
<p>You were working on a spell with him in his sitting room when he threatened, "You better not try and use my own spells against me to run away."</p>
<p>"Thanks for the idea." That's exactly what you had been thinking of doing, and why you were working so hard on your magic.</p>
<p>Loki smirked. He must have at least had an inkling of an idea of what you were planning.</p>
<p>"Why are you teaching me against Odin's wishes? Doesn't this go against everything you told me at the tavern?" you asked him.</p>
<p>"It's time that sorcerers were more appreciated around here. Odin won't be happy about it, but when I'm king, I'll make sure the stigma against us is gone."</p>
<p>If. If he became king. Which you knew was highly unlikely, considering the recent rumors you had heard of Thor's coronation coming up soon. But you weren't going to mention that, you were trying to stay on Loki's good side for now.</p>
<p>"Why are warriors so revered in Asgard anyway, more than sorcerers? I never understood."</p>
<p>"It's always been like that. Since the creation of our realm itself."</p>
<p>"That's a shame. The palace could use more people like you. With your skillset, I mean." You coughed awkwardly, because even you weren't expecting to say that to him.</p>
<p>"Is that compliment from Y/N? I'm in absolute disbelief."</p>
<p>"Don't flatter yourself, I was talking about sorcerers in general."</p>
<p>"Sure... Now back to work. Show me the newest spell you've been practicing."</p>
<p>You nodded. You raised your hand over one of Loki's stacks of books and brought it to yourself. Just like when he had stolen your book in the library.</p>
<p>"I'm impressed. Telekineses is hard to master for someone so new to magic."</p>
<p>"I read every single one of the books you borrowed for me. I even used a concealment spell to hide them whenever I return to my quarters."</p>
<p>"Good. Now try finding me." Loki became invisible.</p>
<p>"Find you? How am I supposed to do that?"</p>
<p>"Feel the magic. Sense my energy in the room," he said from nowhere.</p>
<p>You closed your eyes and felt his magic pulling you in a certain direction. You walked near one of his stacks of books and grabbed at the air.</p>
<p>"Too slow," he commented. You snatched at the air one more time. "Too slow again. You can certainly run, but your reflexes are nowhere near as fast as mine," he taunted you.</p>
<p>You were gritting your teeth. "A teacher should never discourage their student," you shot back, grabbing at the air, a third time. Nothing.</p>
<p>"I'm simply trying to motivate you."</p>
<p>"Well, I'm not motivated by insults." You closed your eyes again and lunged forward, grabbing onto Loki's arms and he reappeared in front of you.</p>
<p>You sighed and sat down in one of his armchairs near the balcony. Performing magic was more difficult than you thought it would be, it took a lot of mental energy and focus.</p>
<p>Loki came up to you and patted your head. "Good girl."</p>
<p>You could feel the blush creep onto your cheeks as a million thoughts went through your mind. Could you possibly have feelings for him? No. You had to fight this. You had a bigger goal in mind. And he still hated you. Right?</p>
<p>But you didn't retract from his touch and when you didn't, Loki looked into your eyes curiously. He gently placed his hands on your face and lifted your chin up.</p>
<p>You whispered, "Loki, what are you - "</p>
<p>Loki leaned into you, your lips inches from each other, his breath on yours. There was a moment of hesitation between you two. And because of this moment, you managed to get yourself together and push him off of you to run out the door.</p>
<p>Running away was what you were best at. You weren't ready to face whatever conflicting and growing feelings you had towards him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Ball Dance of Envy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You've been avoiding me, Y/N," Loki stated. You were in the library with a book in your hands, staring outside the window, when he appeared out of nowhere from behind you.</p>
<p>"I have not. I've been busy," you explained. "You're not supposed to be using magic here, remember?" You glanced at the librarian who was now watching you two closely.</p>
<p>"I don't care what she thinks. I want to know why you haven't come to practice," he responded, crossing his arms in suspicion of you.</p>
<p>"Princess duties," you replied, avoiding eye contact with him at all costs. He was right, you were avoiding him. After he tried to kiss you and you ran off, you had been reluctant to go to practice in fear of it happening again. You didn't want him to become a reason for you to stay here, when you still longed for escape. But he didn't have to know any of that.</p>
<p>"Well, you're not busy right at this moment. You've been staring out the window for the past ten minutes," Loki said.</p>
<p>"And you've been watching me this whole time? That's not creepy at all," you retorted.</p>
<p>Loki smirked and snatched your book out of your hands. "At least read a book about sorcery. Why are you reading this rubbish about Midgard again?"</p>
<p>"No reason." There was most definitely a reason.</p>
<p>"Earth or whatever planet you're reading about is nothing compared to our realm of Asgard. You've barely seen any of it."</p>
<p>"I know. That's because I'm stuck in the palace every hour of every single day," you muttered, trying to grab the book back out of his hands. He dodged you.</p>
<p>Loki paused for a couple minutes and went silent, as if he were in deep thought. "Meet me at my mother's gardens in ten minutes. There's something I want to show you."</p>
<p>"What is it?"</p>
<p>"No more questions. You can either come on your own accord or I'll force you."</p>
<p>You sighed. "Fine, I'll be there." You didn't want to argue with him, it would only cause you to get kicked out of the library again.</p>
<p>Loki disappeared and your book dropped to the ground with a THUD. The librarian squinted at you and you quickly apologized before she threatened to ban you from the palace library forever.</p>
<p>✧⋄⋆⋅✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅✧</p>
<p>You arrived at the palace gardens, where Frigga and Loki were talking to each other.</p>
<p>"You're here. I thought I was going to have to drag you over," Loki joked, causing Frigga to give him a warning look.</p>
<p>"What is it that you wanted to show me?" You asked, ignoring their exchange.</p>
<p>"Come with me." He held out his hand towards you and you just stared at it. His change of attitude towards you recently after that almost kiss was making you hesitant.</p>
<p>Loki rolled his eyes and grabbed your hand when you didn't take a single step towards him. Frigga smiled as she watched Loki lead you deeper into the garden.</p>
<p>"Have you explored the gardens further yet?" He asked.</p>
<p>"No, I haven't had the chance to."</p>
<p>The garden was as beautiful as you had last seen it, when you first came here the night of Odin's announcement about your proposal. You hadn't gone near here since you and Loki had argued at the wedding, despite Frigga's kind invitation at the reception.</p>
<p>Beyond the garden's golden archway, there was a shining, glass greenhouse filled with extravagant flowers and glistening pools of water lined with marble boulders, overlooking Asgard's horizon. He brought you to a terrace which had a view of the entire gardens and its pools. You and him admired the view for awhile in a comfortable silence; which was a first. Until your curiosity got the best of you. This was feeling a little too romantic for your taste and it made you suspicious of him.</p>
<p>"It's beautiful, Loki. But why did you bring me here?" You asked him.</p>
<p>"Can't I show my dear wife what the palace has to offer?"</p>
<p>You scoffed. "Stop with all the mind games. I know what you've been trying to do these past few weeks, I'm not a fool."</p>
<p>"And what is that?"</p>
<p>"You're tricking me into having feelings for you so that I won't try to run again."</p>
<p>Loki chuckled mischievously. "Is it working?"</p>
<p>You shook your head. "Not even close."</p>
<p>He took your hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it, all while making eye contact with you. "What about now?"</p>
<p>You could've sworn your heart skipped a beat, but you ignored it. You didn't want his tricks to have a real effect on you. "Still a no."</p>
<p>Loki stepped into you and before you could object, he kissed you on the cheek softly. "And now?" He whispered into your ear.</p>
<p>You were as still as stone. There was no doubt that his touch made you feel weak inside, but you wouldn't dare show it. "No. It's going to take a lot more than that to keep me satisfied enough to stay here."</p>
<p>Loki smirked. "Like what exactly?"</p>
<p>You saw it coming before it happened. You took a step back and grabbed his wrist with an iron grip before he could place his palm onto your forehead.</p>
<p>"You've become quite predictable, Loki. I'm disappointed."</p>
<p>He didn't respond. You had left him speechless, his facial expression neutral.</p>
<p>"I wasn't lying when I said I was busy. I've been reading and practicing magic on my own. And I've been preparing for the ball in two days, as you may know. I'll see you then."</p>
<p>And without another word, you left and you didn't look back. He was never going to have the upper-hand on you again.</p>
<p>✧⋄⋆⋅✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅✧</p>
<p>The ball was held in the same banquet hall as the one that Odin first made his announcement about your proposal in. The ball was being held to celebrate the creation of the Nine Realms. You had learned that Asgard celebrated often with balls and festivals, even for things that didn't seem completely necessary.</p>
<p>You were feeling a bit anxious about how Loki may act towards you tonight. You knew he didn't like being bested, so you had prepared yourself for whatever tricks he was going to play on you.</p>
<p>You arrived in a gorgeous green dress that the servants and apparently Frigga, had helped pick out for you. The ball began with a feast, similar to the first one you had attended at the palace. You took your seat next to Loki and didn't look at him, only at Odin.</p>
<p>"Thank you all for coming. Tonight we celebrate the Nine Realms and Thor's upcoming coronation. Invitations will be sent out soon. Enjoy the night," Odin announced.</p>
<p>Odin sat down at the head of the banquet table and greeted everyone. The hall was a lot less full compared to your marriage announcement, but you figured there'd be thousands more the day of Thor's coronation.</p>
<p>Expecting Loki to be grimacing at the announcement of Thor's coronation, you finally looked at him. He had been staring at you the whole time, his eyes trailing up from the slit of your dress which slightly revealed your dagger, all the way to your hands, your long black nails, and then your face.</p>
<p>"Why are you leering at me like that?" You asked harshly, while taking a sip of your wine.</p>
<p>You could see him visibly swallow. "You look beautiful."</p>
<p>You had to stop yourself from smiling. He rarely ever said anything nice to you, so what if this was just another one of his tricks to seduce you? "Flattery will get you nowhere with me," you responded.</p>
<p>"Even if it were sincere?" He asked seriously.</p>
<p>"Was it sincere?" You looked into his eyes to look for any sort of doubt within them.</p>
<p>Loki nodded.</p>
<p>"Thank you," you said. And you meant it.</p>
<p>Before you could continue the conversation, the waiters brought your meals to the table and you and Loki ate without speaking. However, this time, you knew it wasn't because he hated you. It was something else. You wanted to think that maybe he did have growing feelings for you, but you could never be sure with him. The god of mischief is hard to trust.</p>
<p>The night lingered on and you and Loki talked with Odin and Frigga and some of the guests. It was getting more and more effortless for you to fall into this lifestyle. You didn't mind it as much as before, and that scared you. It was probably because of him.</p>
<p>Once you were done with your responsibilities and Loki had gone off to do who knows what, possibly mope around in private about Thor's coronation announcement, you congratulated Thor and spoke with his friends for a while.</p>
<p>Thor asked you to dance with him once the music came on, and you could see a hint of jealousy in Sif's face when he had. It was certainly unexpected. Sif looked wonderful tonight, but he had chosen to ask you to dance first instead.</p>
<p>"So how is married life treating you?" Thor asked, as he put his arm around your waist.</p>
<p>You placed one of your hands in his and another on his shoulder. "Your brother is a prick."</p>
<p>Thor laughed loudly. "He can be."</p>
<p>"To be honest, he hasn't been as bad recently..." you responded, thinking about it.</p>
<p>"I'm glad. We've been getting along better lately too. I wonder if that has anything to do with you," Thor commented.</p>
<p>"Me? I doubt that. He's been more tolerable than usual but I wouldn't exactly say he's been kind."</p>
<p>"The only thing he ever talks about is you."</p>
<p>"About how much he resents me?" You asked.</p>
<p>"No, not at all. He talks about you as if he respects you. He likes you more than you think."</p>
<p>"I find that hard to believe." He probably only started to respect me when he learned I had powers like him, you thought.</p>
<p>"Ask him yourself," Thor said, motioning towards Loki with his chin. "I think if I dance with you any longer, he'll try to curse me."</p>
<p>You laughed but stopped when you noticed Loki was glaring at you two from across the hall, crossing his arms.</p>
<p>"Thank you for the dance," you bowed your head at Thor.</p>
<p>You weren't ready to deal with Loki's attitude just yet and Thor's shocking reveal of what he might really think of you, so you went over to the bartender to get a glass of wine. Loki followed you over and watched you drink all of it in almost a single gulp.</p>
<p>"I thought I told you to stay away from Thor," Loki said.</p>
<p>You shook your head at him. Before you could order another drink, Loki grabbed your arm and pulled you back into the ballroom for another dance. He tightly gripped your waist as if he was trying to take control of you. "You should have refused him. You say no to me all the time. Why not him?"</p>
<p>"Refuse a dance with the future king? I think not."</p>
<p>Loki winced at your choice of words and squeezed your hand and waist tighter. "He will not be king." You couldn't help but think he had something planned to stop Thor's coronation. How could he be so sure?</p>
<p>"Are you envious of him?" You asked.</p>
<p>Loki sighed and barely mumbled, "Yes." He looked around the room, like he didn't want anyone to hear what he had just admitted.</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>"My parents have always preferred him over me."</p>
<p>"I don't know about Odin, but not Frigga. She loves you equally, I can tell."</p>
<p>"Are you trying to comfort me right now?" Loki asked, bringing your face closer to his.</p>
<p>You gulped. "Maybe."</p>
<p>After the song ended, Loki took you outside, to a private spot on one of the balconies of the palace. The Nine Realms were shining brightly in the sky.</p>
<p>"Why are you acting so nice all of a sudden? What did Thor say to you?" He eyed you suspiciously again.</p>
<p>"Nothing."</p>
<p>"What did he say? Did he say something unpleasant about me?"</p>
<p>"No..."</p>
<p>"Spit it out, Y/N. Before I use my magic on you." He was lifting one of his palms up.</p>
<p>"Don't try to read my mind, Loki. You won't like what you find."</p>
<p>"Will I find out that you're plotting yet another escape?"</p>
<p>"No. Not that." Possibly that and a complete disappearance of your hatred for him.</p>
<p>"Wow, it must be much worse. Please don't tell me you have something for Thor," he said sighing, desperately. You burst out laughing at that idea. As if you'd actually like Thor over -</p>
<p>"I've never seen you laugh before," Loki noted, tilting his head in curiosity. </p>
<p>"Not everyone prefers Thor over you."</p>
<p>"They do. Look around. Look inside the hall. They're giving him all of their attention whilst ignoring me completely. They don't like me because I'm a sorcerer."</p>
<p>"It's not because you're a sorcerer. Everyone loves Frigga. It's because you act so withdrawn and compare yourself to Thor. Not everything is about him or titles or crowns."</p>
<p>"It has been my whole life."</p>
<p>"It doesn't have to be. Once Thor becomes king - "</p>
<p>"He will never be king," Loki spat out angrily at you, and then he took a deep breath.</p>
<p>"I guess if you've wanted to be king your whole life, then it'll be hard to change your mind..." You noted.</p>
<p>"You speak as if you understand."</p>
<p>"I do understand, more than you think. There's something I want that I likely won't get either because of Odin."</p>
<p>"What is that?"</p>
<p>"Freedom. That's why I'm the runaway princess."</p>
<p>"There's more freedom within the palace than you know. You've only been here for a few months," Loki responded.</p>
<p>"It's equally as hard to change my mind as it is yours. Who do you think will cave first?"</p>
<p>"I won't stop until I get what I want," Loki said sternly.</p>
<p>"Neither will I."</p>
<p>Loki chuckled. "Oh, dear. That is a problem."</p>
<p>"By the way, I don't prefer Thor over you."</p>
<p>Loki rolled his eyes. "Is that supposed to reassure me?"</p>
<p>"If I had a choice between who I had to marry, I'd still choose you."</p>
<p>"Why is that?"</p>
<p>"You're much more interesting to hate," you said sarcastically.</p>
<p>Loki laughed, a genuine one. "You're not half as bad as I thought you were, Y/N."</p>
<p>"Thanks. I think."</p>
<p>"You know if I'm to be king, you will be queen."</p>
<p>"Loki, I don't want to be queen. Won't you grant me clemency and let us divorce once you take over Asgard so that I can leave?"</p>
<p>"You'll want to be my queen. I'll convince you."</p>
<p>You glanced at him, doubtful. "How will you do that?" </p>
<p>Loki looked back at you with blazing eyes and then in another second, his arms were around you. He grabbed your face and pulled you into a rough, possessive kiss. It wasn't sweet at all. But you liked it. You let him convince you, even if it was just for a moment, to stay with him and become his queen.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Child of the Frost Giants</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You arrived in front of Loki's quarters the following morning after the ball. He had asked you to meet him here last night and you weren't sure what for.</p>
<p>"There's something I need to finally show you," Loki said, with a slight grimace on his face. He took your hand, making you both turn invisible. He then lead you down a long flight of stairs under Asgard's palace, were there were two Einherjar guards standing in front of a wide, heavy metal door. You kept quiet as Loki caused a distraction, allowing for the guards to leave and for you to both enter through the door unnoticed.</p>
<p>"Is this what I think it is?" You asked in shock, looking around. It was a room filled with different types of exotic treasures like a golden gauntlet, a glowing blue box, a bowl full of billowing orange flames, and other items you had never seen before. "I thought these treasures were all myths from children's stories."</p>
<p>"It is. Odin's secret trophy vault. And the stories are all real, but no one outside the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf knows this place actually exists," Loki stated, walking over to a small stack of glittering stones openly laid out on one of the displays. "These are the Norn Stones, and they came from Karnilla's cave."</p>
<p>"They're Karnilla's? What can they do?" You asked.</p>
<p>"They wield a very powerful type of magic, one that amplify your own powers or even teleport you into other realms," Loki explained.</p>
<p>"Why are you showing me these?" You asked, confused.</p>
<p>"I wanted to share what I found out from Karnilla the day we visited Nornheim. These stones were the reason for our marriage. In exchange for Odin helping restore Nornheim, he requested these stones, to prevent them from getting into the wrong hands. But knowing my father, he just wanted another piece of treasure to add to his precious collection here," said Loki, shaking his head.</p>
<p>You weren't sure why he would be showing you such a powerful item, how could he trust you with this sort of knowledge? Was this all a test? Or another one of his tricks?  You tried to change the subject. "Thank you for telling me. This marriage makes a lot more sense now." Although you didn't like how Odin and Karnilla were using you and Loki as pawns in their game. "What's over there?" You asked, pointing to the last display at the end of the room and walking towards it. It was a glowing, blue box.</p>
<p>"That's the Casket of Ancient Winters. Odin took it from the Frost Giants in the Asgard-Jotunheim War."</p>
<p>"I've heard of it before, but what exactly does it do?"</p>
<p>Loki looked like he didn't want to respond this time but he said, "It's the source of the Frost Giant's power." His hands began to hover over it, as if it were entrancing him.</p>
<p>You furrowed your eyebrows at him, not sure of what to say next. "Maybe we should go. If we get found here..." You were cut off by footsteps nearing the door, and you immediately turned invisible and hid behind a column. Loki was still frozen in place, his hands now on the casket, unmoving.</p>
<p>Odin walked into the room at the exact moment that Loki picked the casket up.</p>
<p>Loki's skin turned blue and his eyes shifted to red as he held the casket. He glanced towards your direction for a quick second, looking shameful. He resembled a Frost Giant. No, he was a Frost Giant. Based off his reaction, Loki must have just discovered this too. You covered your mouth to keep yourself from gasping. Loki set the casket back down again when Odin took a step towards him.</p>
<p>"The Casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?" Loki asked Odin.</p>
<p>"No. In the aftermath of the battle I went into the temple and I found a baby. Small for a Giant's offspring, abandoned, suffering, left to die. Laufey's son," Odin replied, carefully.</p>
<p>"You took me for a purpose. What was it?... TELL ME!" Loki yelled furiously.</p>
<p>"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day. Bring about an alliance, bring about permanent peace... through you."</p>
<p>"So just like the marriage? You keep using me... I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here. You could have told me what I was from the beginning! Why didn't you?"</p>
<p>"You're my son... I wanted only to protect you from the truth," said Odin, clutching his chest.</p>
<p>"What, because I - I am the monster parents tell their children about at night? You know, it all makes sense now, why you favored Thor all these years, because no matter how much you claim to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!" Loki yelled.</p>
<p>All of a sudden, Odin collapsed on the ground and Loki ran towards him apologetically, and called for the guards to help him. You followed Loki, still invisible, as the guards brought Odin to his bedchamber. Frigga was in shock when Loki and the guards explained what had happened.</p>
<p>"Odinsleep, he's been putting it off for too long. It was time. I'll stay here with him, Loki send a message by raven to Thor and his friends. They're in Vanaheim on a mission," Frigga said sadly.</p>
<p>Loki did what his mother told him to and then you followed him into his quarters, where he sat down on the steps to his bedchamber and wiped his tears away. You had never seen him so vulnerable before and you were surprised that he wasn't doing better to shield his emotions from you.</p>
<p>"Leave, Y/N," Loki told you, his words muffled through sobs. He began crying again.</p>
<p>"No. You need someone right now," you said firmly, not moving an inch.</p>
<p>"Leave."</p>
<p>"No. I refuse."</p>
<p>Loki let out an irritated sigh as you sat down next to him. You were silent as you watched him wipe his tears away once more. You wanted to wipe them off for him, but you didn't think you were that close yet. He was but a shadow of who he was yesterday. Loki commented, "I suppose you hate me even more, now that you know who I truly am."</p>
<p>"Why should I hate you for being born in Jotunheim? Why should that matter to me?"</p>
<p>"I am the sworn enemy of Asgard. Further proof as to why Odin never really accepted me, forget that I became a sorcerer. I'm everything he despises..."</p>
<p>"You're not an enemy of Asgard. You were raised here, which makes you an Asgardian, not a Frost Giant. What Odin did was terribly, terribly selfish and he had the wrong reasons for saving you and for forcing us into this marriage, but I don't think he ever despised you. You're still his son."</p>
<p>Loki scoffed. "Don't think you understand what it's like to be me for a second."</p>
<p>"I understand more than you may know. I'm an outsider of the palace just like you always were. There's still a lot of people left who think I didn't deserve to be a princess because of where I'm from." And one of those people was him.</p>
<p>Loki remained silent.</p>
<p>"Odin shouldn't have ever made you feel lesser than Thor because you were adopted. From what I've seen, you are Thor's equal, even if you don't know it. You deserve to be king just as much as he does."</p>
<p>"I don't feel like his equal," Loki replied, putting his face in his hands.</p>
<p>"You are. Maybe Odin doesn't see that, but I do. And I'm sure your mother does as well. You have different strengths than Thor does and the people of Asgard who don't see that are fools."</p>
<p>"It truly doesn't bother you that I'm Laufey's son?" Loki asked, at last making eye contact with you and not breaking it away.</p>
<p>You shook your head. "It doesn't matter to me. I don't hate you any more because of it. I don't even think I hate you at all now..." And everything you've said to him today was true.</p>
<p>You and Loki stared at each other for a long moment. You could tell he was searching your eyes for genuineness. You got up to give him some alone time, but he grabbed your wrist and tugged you back down.</p>
<p>"Stay. Please," Loki pleaded, staring at the ground.</p>
<p>You nodded. "I will." You placed the palms of your hands on his face gently, making him meet your eyes again. You leaned in and pressed your lips to his and he returned your kiss. It was the opposite of last night's kiss, it felt soft and unhurried. If you weren't mistaken, it felt like love. And that terrified you. There were still some obvious trust issues between the two of you, so how could you ever believe that he felt something real for you? Did his hatred for you truly subside now that there was common ground and some understanding?</p>
<p>✧⋄⋆⋅✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅✧</p>
<p>Hours later, after Loki fell asleep and you returned to your quarters to take a mental rest and reflect on what you learned today, Karnilla appeared to you out of nowhere. You hadn't seen or heard from her since you were in Nornheim with Loki.</p>
<p>"Karnilla? What are you doing here?" You asked, in surprise. And out of all places, why would she appear in your bedroom? Who was she hiding from?</p>
<p>"I'm in astral projection form... I heard the Allfather has gone into Odinsleep," Karnilla replied.</p>
<p>"He has. But what does that have to do with you?" Her motivations always seemed to raise a sense of suspicion in you.</p>
<p>"I'm here to tell you the truth," Karnilla stated.</p>
<p>"I already know about the Norn Stones. Loki showed them to me."</p>
<p>"You do? That makes this easier then. I exchanged the Norn Stones for help with restoring Nornheim, but now that Odin is asleep, it has fallen into chaos once more. I need the stones to control the chaos."</p>
<p>"What are you asking of me? Are you asking me to steal the stones back for you?"</p>
<p>"I am. They are rightfully mine, after all. In exchange for the stones, I'll help you leave Asgard through the Bifrost. I can shield you from Heimdall's view with my magic. I know you never wanted this life, Y/N..." Karnilla explained, with a glint in her eye.</p>
<p>She was using you again to get what she wants. She doesn't know that you've been practicing magic, so you had the advantage here if things turned sour.</p>
<p>"It's a dangerous task." You would have to sneak into Odin's vault again, this time without Loki, if you were to pull this off. Was your magic strong enough to avoid Loki and Frigga? Could you get what you wanted? You didn't fully trust Karnilla, but she was giving you a chance here, what you wanted from the beginning.</p>
<p>"I understand, Y/N. I know I am asking a lot of you. However, we don't have much time. I can't leave Nornheim alone for too long without my leadership. And we don't know how long Odinsleep will last. It could last a day or it could last weeks."</p>
<p>You nodded. If you got caught stealing the stones, you didn't doubt that Odin would put you to death for committing treason against him and Asgard. Not to mention, Loki would be furious and hate you again. He'd never trust you after another outrageous stunt like this.</p>
<p>"You have about until sunset tomorrow to make a decision and bring me the stones. I'll be awaiting you in person by the Bifrost." Karnilla disappeared as soon as she spoke her last word.</p>
<p>Could she sense your magic? She was clearly overestimating your abilities, considering Odin's vault was heavily guarded. You weren't even sure how she knew about his vault. But...</p>
<p>Freedom. It was right within a hand's reach. But would you be willing to try to escape again, even after everything you learned today about Loki? Could you really selfishly throw away whatever growing relationship you had with him to leave a life you never wanted? How much did you want this?</p>
<p>It would be the hardest decision of your life, and you only had so much time left to make a choice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Destruction of the Bifrost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: violence, sexual content</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By the time it was near sunset the following day, you had made your decision. Getting back into Odin's vault was easier than you had planned it to be. Loki remained in his room for most of the day, while Frigga stayed by Odin's side during his rest. Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three were still on their way back to Asgard from Vanaheim. Which left the perfect opening for you to get into the vault today, without any interruptions.</p>
<p>You were careful to avoid suspicion from Heimdall by not staying invisible for too long. If he didn't see you for a certain amount of time, he would suspect something was up. You used the same distraction Loki used yesterday, so the guards would leave their stations. It all felt too easy. You were bracing yourself for something more to happen soon.</p>
<p>Once you had the Norn Stones, you made your way into town and towards the Bifrost, where Karnilla was already waiting for you, just as promised. There weren't many people around, as most were returning to their homes for the night.</p>
<p>"Y/N, I'm glad to see you here. I don't know what I would've done if you had made a different choice," Karnilla said, almost threateningly.</p>
<p>"How long were you planning this, Karnilla?" you asked her. You had to know the truth.</p>
<p>"Excuse me?" She replied in an irritated, impatient tone. You could tell she wanted to get this all over with.</p>
<p>"I won't give you the stones until you tell me everything."</p>
<p>"Show me them first."</p>
<p>You took the pouch of stones out of the pocket of your cloak and poured them into your hand, showing her, and then quickly returning them back.</p>
<p>"I'm here to retrieve my stones and restore Nornheim. That's all," she spat out through her teeth.</p>
<p>"I don't believe you. Why not wait until Odin wakes up? Or ask Frigga for help? She's just as qualified, if not more, to help with Nornkeep with her magic," you reasoned with her.</p>
<p>Karnilla sighed. "You're more clever than you look, Y/N. I need the stones not only to restore Nornheim, but to take the throne of Asgard. Without Odin's rule, the Nine Realms remains vulnerable. Asgard needs a powerful queen such as I, to bring it to its full glory. It's time that every other realm, from Jotunheim to Midgard to see the importance of Asgard. Odin and Frigga have been ruling far too peacefully these past few centuries."</p>
<p>You weren't surprised. You had expected there to be something off with Karnilla's proposal in the first place, from the moment you met her and were to be wed to Loki.</p>
<p>"Give me the stones, Y/N. Now. We don't have much time before Heimdall figures us out," demanded Karnilla. "Don't you want to flee to Midgard? Isn't that what you've wanted ever since you were made a princess? I can help you get there. You no longer have to be trapped here your whole life. You can be free in just a matter of seconds."</p>
<p>You took the pouch of stones out of your pocket again and stared at them in your hand, deciding your next move.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a Einherjar guard came running towards you out of nowhere, he must have been listening in this whole time. He then transformed into who he really was. Loki stopped in front of you and Karnilla. "Is that why you've been doing so much research on Midgard, Y/N? That's where you've been planning to escape to all this time? Without even giving me so much as a goodbye?"</p>
<p>"Loki - " You tried to explain yourself, but Loki was furious and wouldn't let you speak.</p>
<p>"After everything yesterday, I thought we were finally on the same page. I thought you were going to stay?!" His eyes glistening with rage and despair. He was more hurt than you expected him to be.</p>
<p>"I - "</p>
<p>Karnilla cut you off too, and smirked. "Trouble in paradise? Uh oh."</p>
<p>"It was never paradise in the first place," Loki said harshly, looking at you with a sharp, seething expression on his face.</p>
<p>"The stones. Now," Karnilla demanded again, motioning her hand to you. You looked down at them in your hand and wrapped your fingers around the stones tightly.</p>
<p>"No. Those stones are going nowhere near you," said Loki. He casted a green blast of energy towards Karnilla, throwing her onto the ground, away from you.</p>
<p>"You have no idea who you're dealing with." Karnilla brought the palms of her hands up towards her mouth and muttered a spell into them, casting a purple glow of magic. She sent the energy towards Loki and he was sent sliding down the Bifrost.</p>
<p>You stood there frozen, unable to move in your fear, the stones' power reverberating against your closed fists.</p>
<p>"HEIMDALL?! Where are you?" Loki yelled towards the end of the Bifrost, attempting to get back up.</p>
<p>"I knocked him out before I got here. I couldn't take any chances," Karnilla said, smiling evilly.</p>
<p>"KARNILLA! Stop this. I was never going to give you the stones. I only took them because I knew you'd go after them anyway," you told her.</p>
<p>Karnilla snarled at you. "I underestimated you, Y/N. I thought you to be a naive young woman who would do anything to leave this place, especially when it's treated you so unfairly." Karnilla glanced at Loki, who was limping back to you. Karnilla was implying that he must have been the reason you wanted to leave, but you knew it was never about him.</p>
<p>Karnilla lunged forward and attempted to snatch at the stones from you with her telekinetic powers. But you held on to them tight. Not only did you have the stones, but you had the ability to use them. You had a secret weapon. Magic.</p>
<p>"What is this?!" Karnilla asked, noticing the push of energy against her powers. Only strong sorcerers could take full advantage of the stones' abilities.</p>
<p>"Loki trained me," you stated.</p>
<p>"My mistake," he mumbled, finally able to stand.</p>
<p>With the Norn Stones in your hand, you cast a ball of energy so enormous, someone from the palace would probably spot it. This had to end now. You casted it into Karnilla and she was knocked off of the Bifrost and back into town. Hopefully she wasn't dead.</p>
<p>"Loki. Let me explain," you told him. You had never seen him so angry before and it was terrifying, even with the Norn Stones in your hand.</p>
<p>"You betrayed me. Was it all a lie? Everything you said to me last night and at the ball?!" He yelled.</p>
<p>"No. Every word was true and I'm not leaving Asgard."</p>
<p>"Then why do you still have the stones in your hand?" Loki said.</p>
<p>You put them back into your pocket and stepped towards him. "I'm not leaving. Let's return the stones to the vault and tell the guards to bring Karnilla to the dungeons so this can all be over."</p>
<p>"I don't believe you. You'll try to escape again."</p>
<p>"Loki, I won't. I promise."</p>
<p>"Then give me the stones."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"GIVE ME THEM."</p>
<p>"I can't."</p>
<p>Loki sighed. "I knew you didn't trust me, Y/N."</p>
<p>"Well, you don't trust me either."</p>
<p>Loki glared at you and ran in the opposite direction of you, further into the Bifrost. He doubled himself until there was a blockade of his clones preventing you from going after him.</p>
<p>"Loki! What are you doing?"</p>
<p>Loki materialized Odin's Gungnir Spear into his hand and began plunging it into the Bifrost. The glittering bridge cracked and whirred under the spear's thundering power.</p>
<p>"Loki. Please stop."</p>
<p>"Or what? You'll use the stones against me and render me unconscious too?"</p>
<p>You wouldn't use the stones against him, he was already hurt from Karnilla's blast earlier. "I refuse to fight you, Loki. Odin is going to punish us both if you do this. You're insane."</p>
<p>"This is the only way I can be sure that you won't leave me for a long time," he replied, dead serious.</p>
<p>Your heart dropped at his words. You fought with his clones using your powers to try and then tried to rip the spear out of his hands, but you were too late. As soon as the last pieces of the Bifrost bridge broke away and you stood there helpless, Heimdall and Odin, awakened from Odinsleep, appeared, both enraged beyond words.</p>
<p>✧⋄⋆⋅✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅✧</p>
<p>You and Loki kneeled in front of Odin's throne, both handcuffed. Frigga looked down at you two solemnly.</p>
<p>"Odin, it was me. It was I who attempted to kill Karnilla and I who destroyed the Bifrost to prevent her from leaving with the Norn Stones. Y/N was only trying to stop me," Loki explained.</p>
<p>You looked at him in shock. Did he care about you that much? Was he afraid your punishment from Odin would be worse than his if he knew the truth? It didn't matter. You couldn't let Loki take the fall for you when you were the one who caused all of this trouble in the first place.</p>
<p>"Very well. Loki, your magic will be taken away for a year as punishment," Odin ordered. That was 60 years in Midgard's time. It wasn't fair.</p>
<p>You stood up immediately. "He's not telling the truth, your highness. He's only saying this to protect me."</p>
<p>"Don't listen to her," Loki argued.</p>
<p>"Allfather, he doesn't deserve to have his magic taken away." You kneeled down again.</p>
<p>Odin looked at you appalled.</p>
<p>"This was my fault. I stole the stones because I knew Karnilla was after them, and I only wanted to protect Asgard from her. Please don't take Loki's magic away. It's one of the only things he has for himself, it's his pride. He helped me fight Karnilla... He sacrificed a lot more for Asgard today than you might think, even though most people treat him as lesser than all of his life."</p>
<p>"That is simply NOT true," Odin replied, glaring at you. Loki was staring at the floor.</p>
<p>"It is. Maybe no one else has seen it because they choose not to pay any attention to him, because he's different, but I've seen it. He doesn't deserve this treatment nor any type of punishment. Especially for being a sorcerer."</p>
<p>"Well, someone needs to be punished for this madness," Odin stated sternly.</p>
<p>"Punish me. Remove my magic," you said.</p>
<p>Odin stood up from the throne and scoffed, brining his spear down to the ground, angrier than before. "Since when were you trained in magic?"</p>
<p>"I..." Your voice trailed off. You weren't about to tell him Loki taught you.</p>
<p>"I taught her, dear," Frigga spoke up and stepped forward.</p>
<p>"What?! Frigga? This is not what we'd agreed upon," Odin replied, confused.</p>
<p>"She needed a talent of her own, like Loki. She had the potential from Karnilla and it would've been a waste to see it not put to use," Frigga explained.</p>
<p>Odin huffed out a large breath. "I see. Fine. However, there must be repercussions. Y/N will wear magic-suppressing cuffs for one month. And you will both be heavily guarded by the Einherjar for the rest of the year, while the Bifrost is being repaired."</p>
<p>"I understand," you said.</p>
<p>"You're dismissed," Odin declared.</p>
<p>The guards removed Loki's handcuffs, but kept yours on. Frigga removed the chain from in between them, made them appear invisible, and took the key. "I'll be very happy once I get to remove these," she said. "Thank you. For caring so deeply about Loki."</p>
<p>You nodded. You looked at Loki awkwardly and raced back to your room. He followed you.</p>
<p>"Y/N! We need to talk," Loki demanded, grabbing you by the shoulders.</p>
<p>You attempted to pry his hands off of you with no success. "I'm not in the mood," your knuckles were whitening trying to keep him off you. Loki looked up to your face to see the annoyed expression on it.</p>
<p>"Wait a moment. How could you possibly be angry at me?" He asked.</p>
<p>"You broke the Bifrost because you didn't trust me!" You yelled. "You're extremely lucky Odin didn't send you to Hel with Karnilla."</p>
<p>"Well, you never gave me reason to. And you didn't trust me enough to tell me about your plan to steal the Norn Stones!"</p>
<p>"Loki, I could've handled it alone. You got hurt by Karnilla because of me and that's what I was trying to prevent. All of this could have been prevented if you had just believed everything I had said to you yesterday and at the ball."</p>
<p>"I wasn't thinking clearly. I couldn't watch you leave again."</p>
<p>"I already told you I wasn't going to leave."</p>
<p>"Don't blame me if I still have trust issues with you, Y/N..." He said arrogantly.</p>
<p>"It's not easy for me to trust you either when you hated me from the very day we met."</p>
<p>"I never hated you."</p>
<p>You laughed incredulously.</p>
<p>"It's true. Perhaps I strongly disliked you in the beginning, but I never truly hated you. I could never hate you." Loki stated. "No one's ever chosen me before..." he said, and you knew he didn't want to admit this insecurity.</p>
<p>"I hated you... up until when we talked at the tavern in Nornheim," you mentioned.</p>
<p>"Was this after I witnessed your filthy thoughts about me?"</p>
<p>"Don't be so crude. It was after we talked at the pub."</p>
<p>"You didn't have to do that for me, Y/N," Loki said, almost in a whisper. "Stand up for me in front of Odin. It was brave of you."</p>
<p>"I did what I had to. I know how much your magic means to you. And I wasn't going to let your powers get taken away because of the trouble that I had caused."</p>
<p>"Thank you, Y/N. But how am I supposed to trust that you truly decided to stay here?"</p>
<p>You sighed. "Read my mind."</p>
<p>"You're actually offering?"</p>
<p>"I am."</p>
<p>Loki put his hand up and then brought it back down again. "No. I won't do it."</p>
<p>"Why not?"</p>
<p>"I'm exercising my first moment of trust in you."</p>
<p>"You're a fool."</p>
<p>"I beg your pardon?"</p>
<p>You grabbed Loki's palm and placed it onto your head to show him your thoughts. You weren't planning on ever leaving him again, even after the Bifrost was rebuilt.</p>
<p>"You liked it," Loki commented.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"You liked it when I broke the Bifrost to keep you here."</p>
<p>"You were supposed to read my most recent thought, nothing else." You rolled your eyes.</p>
<p>Loki smirked. "I didn't mean to, darling. Your feelings were poured into my mind... 'Loki's insane, possessive rage over the idea of me escaping made me feel - '</p>
<p>You covered his mouth with your hand. "I hate you." Loki squinted his eyes. "I apologize, I didn't mean that."</p>
<p>He looked you up and down with a mischievous look on his face. "There's something else I saw...."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Don't act so innocent, Y/N," he whispered into your ear. "I know exactly what you want."</p>
<p>He brought your chin up to reach his lips. His kiss was tender at first, but the moment his tongue entered your mouth, the mood immediately shifted. You kissed him with as much need and passion as he did, and soon he was hovering over you on your bed and removing all of your clothes, practically ripping them off just to touch your skin. His hungry kisses and agile hands roamed your entire body. When he finally entered in between your legs, his darkened eyes locked onto yours and you were sent into a fog of love, lust, and pleasure. He pulled at your hips and you tugged at his hair, shuddering underneath his body and tight grip. He was gentle, yet unrelenting and possessive at the same time, and it was everything you wanted. It was only you and him. There was only him.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The End of the Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You know, if you hadn't pressured me to break the Bifrost, I was going to make a deal with the Frost Giants to stop Thor's coronation," Loki mentioned to you nonchalantly, as you sat by his side at the banquet table.</p>
<p>It was a month later and your magical-suppressing handcuffs were off and you had begun practicing your magic with Loki again, this time with supervision from Frigga; which you didn't mind at all. Today had been Thor's coronation and he was officially crowned to be the next king once Odin was no longer fit to rule. For now, Thor was to go on missions to Midgard and other realms in need of help, with Sif and the Warriors Three, as a suggestion from Odin to improve in his methods of leadership.</p>
<p>You almost choked on your water. "Can't you see that Odin is merely a foot away from us?" You asked, glancing quickly at Odin, who was speaking with Frigga at the head of the table.</p>
<p>Loki ignored you. "I had devised a plan awhile ago to stop Thor's coronation. I was moving forward with it but when Odin told me of my true parentage and you stayed with me that night, I changed my mind. My plan was to lure the Frost Giants into the palace to steal the Casket of Ancient Winters to interrupt his crowning as heir of the throne."</p>
<p>"Loki, that would've started a war," you scolded him. </p>
<p>"Perhaps. Or it would have lead Thor to to confront the Frost Giants in Jotunheim with a reckless battle, leaving me blameless, and next in line for the throne." He was truly the god of mischief.</p>
<p>You were almost afraid to ask. "Do you... regret not going through with this plan?"</p>
<p>"No. I don't. Not anymore," he said.</p>
<p>"So you're okay with Thor officially becoming the king someday?"</p>
<p>"I'm getting there. Slowly. Very, very slowly. Besides, I'm not sure now if I ever really wanted the throne. I only wanted an equal."</p>
<p>"Does Thor still not see that your his equal?"</p>
<p>Loki brushed a strand of your hair behind your ear. "Maybe he will someday, but it doesn't matter as much to me as it used to. Y/N, I sincerely apologize for all the times I called you a peasant. You never were one... You are my true equal. Not Thor."</p>
<p>"Loki, I lo-" Your confession was cut off by Thor putting his arms around both you and Loki. His breath smelled strongly of alcohol. He was holding a pint full of mead, and it almost splashed onto both yours and Loki's face. It had clearly been his third drink or more of the night.</p>
<p>"Look at these two. They no longer want to rip each other's throats out," Thor hollered out in glee. His comment had caught some of the Asgardian guests' attention and they looked over at you three with concerned glances. Thor laughed loudly.</p>
<p>Loki pursed his lips at him. "Congratulations on your crowning, Thor." It still sounded slightly bitter, but you knew that him and his brother had been on better terms now. Thor wasn't exactly happy that Loki had broken the Bifrost because of you, but it had oddly brought them closer together. Thor had never seen Loki so passionate before, and he admired it, in some strange brotherly way, you would never understand.</p>
<p>"Thanks, brother. Enjoy the night." Thor patted you two heavily on the back and smiled, before returning to his side of the table beside Sif and the Warriors Three.</p>
<p>Once the night had ended, and you were about to return to your quarters with Loki, Odin motioned for you two to come to his throne for something. Hopefully he hadn't heard what Loki had said earlier.</p>
<p>"Thor and his friends are going on a mission to Midgard soon to investigate an inter-dimensional crime. Would you two like to join them?" Odin asked.</p>
<p>"You're inviting us?" Loki asked, in complete surprise.</p>
<p>You elbowed him roughly in the side, making him grimace in pain. "Thank you for considering us, Allfather."</p>
<p>You and Loki looked at each other. You had no interest in going to Midgard right at this moment. There were still things (like lingering trust issues) you were working out with Loki. Besides, everything you wanted was right here in the palace, something you would have never imagined.</p>
<p>"We'll discuss it," Loki replied with a nod. You and him bowed to Odin.</p>
<p>"They leave soon. Let me know as soon as possible," Odin ordered.</p>
<p>"We will. Thank you," Loki responded, a bit reluctant. Odin and Loki's relationship would take a very long time to repair, and you weren't sure if it ever would.</p>
<p>Then, Odin smiled. It was small, but it was there. It was such a rare sight to see that you would have gasped if it were not for your prior princess training in proper etiquette.</p>
<p>You and Loki walked entered your quarters and went over to the balcony, overlooking the the twinkling cities of Asgard. </p>
<p>"Odin is making changes around here. It's no doubt because of you, Y/N. Impressive," Loki said, nodding at you. "Perhaps he'll even ask us to rule the Nornkeep in Karnilla's place."</p>
<p>You rolled your eyes at him. "I thought you didn't want a throne." </p>
<p>"It couldn't hurt to have one, temporarily. Until I build my own palace, somewhere, of course."</p>
<p>"Are you trying to get me to be your queen again?"</p>
<p>"I am. Do you accept?"</p>
<p>"I do." </p>
<p>You became Loki's equal and Loki became your freedom. Now, there was no longer a single part of you that wished to escape Asgard.</p>
<p>✧⋄⋆⋅✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅✧</p>
<p>This was more of a bonus chapter to clear up some character development things &lt;3</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for waiting so patiently each week and reading my story! This was only the second one that I've written, so sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I felt like I could've made this story longer if I wanted to, but it seemed better to have it concise with the setting and dialogue so that I could write a more solid, happier ending. It ended up not being as dark as I wanted it to be in the beginning, so I definitely want to do something grittier in the future. However, for the stories I write, they will probably tend to have happier endings since we don't always get those in real life and I'm still in denial lol (aka infinity war).</p>
<p>I do plan on writing others, possibly some one-shots soon and continuing with different POVs on TikTok. Maybe even a short sequel or follow-up. Let me know if anyone has any requests as well! I'm also open to constructive criticism. I'd love to write another one either during/after the Loki show premieres and maybe base it around that. And I might try writing with some other characters in the future too. We'll see. Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it.</p>
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